Adventures of a Rat Bandit
by Ungol The Goblin
Summary: Chin, a rat bandit tries to succeed at life.
1. Chapter 1

There was an inn, in the middle of the wilderness. It was perched atop a large rock in the middle of a river and had two sets of wooden stairs connecting it on both sides so that it doubled as a bridge. It was night and the inn was crowded, and very noisy.

Inside the inn amid all the smoke and steam from various pipes and pots sat the bandit Chin with his gang. Chin was a rat, a very clever rat. His attire was made up of old castaway bits of cloth that he had haphazardly sewn together topped with bits of metal and studded leather he found. His right eye was missing; Chin could not afford a proper eye patch so his eye was covered in a dirty piece of cloth. At Chin's side was a very rusty Nan Dao sword. And on his head was a ratty (pun not intended) rice hat.

"As I was saying if we want to succeed we must-oh hold on a sec-You" said Chin grabbing a waiter, a very frightened rabbit "Where's our food we ordered almost thirty minutes ago?"

"I'm terribly sorry sirs, w-we're really busy tonight an-"

"Never mind that, just hurry back with our food"

"Yes sir, of course sir…er"

"What is it?"

"Could you tell me your orders again"

"You forgot our orders?"

"Sorry sir, it w-was just that there were too many orders an-well you see -many apologies sir!"

"Well there goes your tip" mumbled Chin, then looking around the small table his gang was clustered around he pointed to each member as he spoke "very well, let's see, it was steamed rice, steamed rice, steamed rice, steamed rice, uh steamed rice, steamed rice I believe, and uh pot stickers"

"Actually sir I changed my mind, I would like steamed rice too"

"Alright then, steamed rice for everyone and cabbage soup and a side order of steamed rice for me"

"Steamed rice, cabbage soup got it"

"a some rice wine"

"Rice wine got it"

The waiter scuttled off quickly.

"Now as I was er… oh blast I forgot!"

"Perhaps we should discuss another topic sir"

"Very well, lets all go in a circle and say what we've learned today, Dong you can start us off"

"Er, we learned that we should be very careful with gunpowder, and to keep it away from the torches"

"Good, good, Cheng?"

"Uh …If we run that only means the guards will punch us harder"

"Alright and Da-Ming I believe you have something very important to say"

"I uh, I kinda forgot sir"

"You kinda forgot?" said Chin crossly.

"I'm sorry sir, it was just that I-"

"Let me remind you, it was that we aren't…"

"We aren't…?"

"Get"

"We aren't get?"

"-ing"

"We aren't getting any oh, uh?"

"Rrrr"

"Rrrr… re… respect! We aren't getting any respect from the other bandits!"

"Da-Ming here has brought up a very good point, we lack respect from other bandits, and why is this?"

"Er…because we are always getting beaten up?" hazarded one bandit.

"Exactly! And why is this happening?"

"Er…"

"Its because you are?"

"Oh! Its because we're …uh"

"In…"

"Incompetent! Its because we're incompetent!"

"Yes exactly! One hundred percent true! , I need to get you bunch of muck bouts off your incompetent tails and whip you into shape. And I don't mean just physically this time, I mean intellectually. You sorry excuses for a low life band of cutthroats have spoiled my plans with your stupidity at least forty seven different times!"

"Ah gee we're sorry boss" said Da-Ming.

"Oh you're sorry, YOU'RE sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I have to spend all my time trying help you bunch of no-good-slacking-flea-bitten-tail bitters get a better life"

"No really boss we're sorry" said one of the bandits, who, like the others, was beginning to feel very bad "We'll try harder next time, we promise"

"For your sake you'd better, and once more I- hey you!"

Chin reached over and grabbed the same rabbit waiter from earlier.

"Where's our food!"

"I kinda …well"

"Did you forget again?"  
>"Er…<em>yes<em>"

"How hard is it to remember steamed rice and cabbage soup?" said Chin bringing his voice down to a threatening rat growl.

"I uh, well you see"

The rabbit pointed across the crowded room, there was a group of well armored wolves seated there eating steamed rice and cabbage soup.

"Tell me you long eared twit, why can't you remember our food, but you can remember theirs, which happen to be the exact same bloody thing!"

"well that kinda is _your_ food"

"What?"

"They kinda took it sir"

"They took my food!"

"And the previous order"

"and you let them!"

"Well they're kinda mean scary bandits"

"We're mean scary bandits!"

"Yeah but, you know, they're meaner and scarier, and well bigger and more competent looking"

"Oh really now?" said Chin his voice changing to a menacing hissing sound. "Alright you lot, time to prove your worth, follow me, we'll show this blaggards a thing or two!"

Chin and his gang approached the wolf bandits.

"Alright you bunch of mangy canines, clear off! This inn is the territory of MY gang, we were here first!"

The wolf bandits laughed, a harsh, horrible laugh.

"oh laughing are you! We'll see whose laughing when I flog your hides of your bones! Which one of you loutish brutes is the leader!"

The leader of the wolves stood up, he towered far above the other wolves. Chin let out a frightened squeak.

"Are you challenging me?" said the wolf bandit

"I-I uh…Yes!" said Chin mustering up all his courage.

The wolf bandit responded by flipping the table over and walking over to Chin. Chin took out his rice flail that he had traded for with a Wako pirate. It was a good deal, one member of his gang for, what he considered, a dangerous weapon.

"I must warn you" said Chin beginning to swing the rice flail about expertly "I've trained with this for months, it took me a week to learn not to brain myself with it and I'm more than capable of braining you!"

Chin accidently struck Da-Ming in the head.

"Sorry Da-Ming" said Chin "Have at you wolf!"

Chin swung the rice flail in a complicated fashion. The wolf bandit grabbed the rice flail by the weight right before it struck him. the wolf bandit swung the rice flail into the air with Chin who was still holding onto it. Chin was brought flying over the wolf's head and crashing into the floor behind him. And those ended the battle for the inn.


	2. Chapter 2

It was late at night, Chin and his gang were circled around a small fire.

"That's the fifth inn I've lost because of you inept, socially irredeemable idiots!" Grumbled Chin. "You could at least, oh I don't know, have tried to fight back!"

"We're sorry boss"

"You're going to be sorry! That was by far my most humiliating defeat!"

Chin's gang were silent, they just stared at their feet sheepishly.

"And you lot of traitors backstabbed me too! "

"No we didn't, we rooted for you the whole time, honest!"

"Oh really then? What about when that wolf tied be up by my tail and swung me around like pendulum!"

"What do you mean?"

"You're the lot of cowards who went and got the rope for him!"

"Sorry boss"

"Sorry doesn't cut it, then after that when he cut me down, put me in women's clothing and made me sing and dance you shouted for an encore!"

"Well the wolves sorta made us do it"

"Well why didn't you tell them to, say, piss off and fight back?"

"They were really scary sir"

"WE'RE REALLY SCARY!"

"Well you are boss, but we aren't"

"Fine then, if that's the case then I'll just have to find a new gang"

"Don't say that boss, we're really, really sorry!"

"If you were sorry you would've kicked those wolves out of the inn and halfway across China instead of letting your leader be humiliated!"

"Aww sir, just give us another chance, we'll be good this time, I swears it!"

"Oh you want another chance do you!"

"Please! Just give us a chance to prove ourselves boss, we'll do better, we'll all do better!"

"Fine, against my better judgment, I'll let you bunch of brain dead, flea bitten, scurvy buggers have a second chance at glory."

"Thanks boss, you won't regret it!"

"Now first order of business, we need to find new territory"

"How about the swamps of Hunshui?"

"That wont do, the crocodiles already kicked us out of their remember?"

"Oh yeah, how about Chengdan city?"

"And get mauled by bears, I don't think so"

"Er Wuzei island?"

"If we go back to Wuzei we'll be slaughtered for sure! We need some place new, someplace we haven't tried yet."

"I hear tell there's a harbor nearby, we could get on a boat and look for new turf"

"That's the best idea I've heard all night, alright then, come on you blaggards pack up your gear and follow me, we're gonna steal ourselves a ship!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chin and his gang sailed out of the harbor in a tiny fishing boat, all the ships were too well guarded. The fishing but however, was guarded only by a lone rabbit. He wasn't too keen on letting Chin use his boat, but then Chin made the point of tossing the rabbit into the harbor. Since then they'd been sailing for most of the day.

The small boat was rocked relentlessly by the waves, and if Chin hadn't spent a good portion of his life as a pirate he would have been very sea sick. This didn't mean Chin liked it however, he didn't like the dark clouds beginning to form in the sky either, and they were too far from shore to be able to escape a storm by then. At least Chin had managed to get his crew to stop singing Sailing for Adventure.

Then Chin, who was on lookout, spotted a light off in the foggy distance.

"I see a light, which means there's land over there!" Shouted Chin pointing to the light "Sail that away!"

Chin's gang got to work, and the boat made a slow but steady progress forward. The dark clouds were now filling the sky and a few drops of rain began to fall. At last the boat reached the light, just in time as the rain began falling harder. Chin and his gang sailed the boat into a small bay where I would be safe. Once it was anchored Chin and his gang hoped out and scanned their surroundings.

They were standing on a rocky coastline with very little sand, there were large stony cliffs towering above them. To their right was a small decrepit house in roughly the same location as the light (although the house was now dark) behind the house was a dark forest.

"Come on, we'll stay at that house to wait out the storm."

"Er are you sure boss?" asked Da-Ming

"What do you mean?"

"Well that house looks sorta, you know, spooky"

"What are you talking about?"

"Its old and creepy and dark and you know, haunted looking"

"Oh for goodness sake! Its just an old house, the light was probably just…er…swamp gas or something!"

"Whats swamp gas?" asked one of Chin's gang.

"I don't know! Look that's not what matters right now, its just a house now come on!"

Chin took a few steps forward, turned around and saw his gang standing around idly.

"Don't tell me you're all afraid to go in!"

"Well you know, maybe we should just spend the night out here?" said Da-Ming nervously.

"Spend the night out here in a storm!"

"Well we could cover ourselves with sheets"

"What"

"You know to use as umbrellas"

"I get that part by where are you going to get sheets?"

"er good point"

"Now come on are you a rat or a mouse!"

"Rat sir"

"Then act like it! Come on all of you get inside the bloody house!"

None of Chin's gang moved.

"Fine, if that's the case then you can all stay out here and I'll go into the nice warm house."

"It doesn't look that warm to me boss"

"quiet you!"

Chin walked up to the house, then suddenly he turned around and stared into the stormy ocean, which was right behind his crew, and gasped.

"Did you see that!"

"What!"

"Over there in the water!"

"We didn't see anything boss!"

"It was horrible!"

"What was!" asked his crew beginning to get nervous.

"It was big, had more eyes then teeth! And more teeth then arms!"

"What was it boss!"

"I don't want to think about it! Luckily for me I'll be in the nice safe house. I feel sorry for anyone outside tonight, especially anyone close to shore" Said Chin as he entered the house and closed the door behind him.

Chin's gang stood out in the rain scanning the ocean.

"_We're _close to shore!" one of them whispered.

"Maybe we should head inside." Said Da-Ming

The rest of the gang knocked on the door.

"What do you want? I thought you were gonna stay out there and cover yourselves with sheets?" asked Chin, looking out from a hole in the door.

"We kinda want to be inside now, if its all the same to you"

Chin slid the door open and the rest of his gang entered. The house was old and had many holes in the walls. Cobwebs hung from everywhere like dusty gray curtains. Chin had started a small fire. His gang gathered around him and shivered. They didn't like the idea of spending the night here.


	4. Chapter 4

The night was very cold, wind and rain relentlessly beat upon the old house. Chin's gang was huddled together like frightened children. Chin on the other hand was enjoying himself; he was cooking some cabbage soup over the fire.

"This place is great, nobody around to try to take it away from us, we should make this our new territory!" said Chin with a crooked smile.

"I don't think that's such a good idea boss, this place just doesn't seem…_right_"

"Oh calm down Da-Ming, if this house was haunted we'd be hearing all sorts of strange sounds and such"

As if on cue footsteps were heard on the floor above them.

"Just the wind"

"But sir what if it isn't!"

"Oh don't get your tail in a knot, there's no such thing as ghosts!"

This didn't seem to convince his gang. Who remained huddled together. Then there came a tapping from outside.

"Probably just a tree branch or something" said Chin sipping his cabbage soup.

Soon it became very late and Chin laid down and fell asleep, his gang however weren't able to sleep a wink. The gang stared up at the ceiling trying not to think of ghosts and scary things. This was hard to do when they kept hearing strange sounds coming from above them.

"Do you think its ghosts?" whispered one of the gang

"I don't know, Chin said ghosts don't exist, and Chins usually right about most things" replied Da-Ming

"Yeah, but what if there are ghosts?"

"Then we'll er… let's just assume there aren't any"

A slow creaking sound came from directly above them as if something were standing there.

"Maybe one of us should, you know, go check just to make sure, mean if Chins right then there aren't ghosts up there"

"Well if Chins right, which he probably is, then there'll be no reason for one of us to go up and check!"

"Well you know, just to make sure"

"Well then fine, I'll go then, just to prove Chin is right" said Da-Ming who, as Chin's unofficial second in command, thought he should set a good example to the others.

Da-Ming got up and began to ascend the ancient stairs. Each step he took the stairs would creak loudly. Stepping carefully over a large hole in the ancient woodwork, Da-Ming finally reached the second floor. It was even darker and more decrepit then the first. The wind and rain poured in through the great holes in the walls and the cobwebs were huge and everywhere.

Da-Ming scanned the second floor fearfully before hurrying down and reporting what he had found.

"Nothing there but cobwebs" Said Da-Ming as confidently as he could.

A soft moaning began to echo in the house, starting from somewhere above them.

"Wind?" hazarded Da-Ming.

The house began to shake, and then it suddenly stopped. Chin didn't even stir, but snored contentedly. The moan picked up again somewhat louder this time.

"Keep it down Da-Ming" mumbled Chin "I'm trying to sleep"

"That wasn't me boss"

"Then whoever it was better keep it down!"

The moan softened down a whisper then was silent. The silence worried Da-Ming more then the moan, he knew it was planning something now. Da-Ming and the others tried to sleep; and it seemed like they were about to make it through the night without any more disturbances. But then, right when they were just about to drift off they heard an ear splitting scream from up above.

Chin sprung up, sword in hand.

"What the, whassit!" he said bewildered.

He found his gang huddled together shivering and staring at the ceiling.

"It came from up there boss" said Da-Ming.

Chin rushed up the stairs with his sword. All was quiet. The gang was starting to worry, but then Chin came down the stairs.

"There's nothing up there you bunch of ninnies, your all getting me worked up!"

"But the scream!"

"Oh its just my imagination, you've been putting all these silly ghost ideas in my head and what not!"

"But we all heard it!"

"Then you're all imagining it!" said Chin lying back down "Now keep it down!"

"That does it!" said Da-Ming as soon as he was sure Chin was asleep. "Lets get to the bottom of this!"

Da-Ming and a couple others nervously crept up the stairs with weapons in hand.

"You sure we should be doing this?" whispered Dong

"Well we got to prove our worth to Chin somehow, and what better way than going after a ghost.

"But it's a GHOST"

"Yeah well, we're armed so I hope that ghost can fight back or it'll be a massacre"

"But its already dead!"

"Well then it'll be uh…extra dead"

They slowly made it to the second floor. And looked around. Nothing. Da-Ming looked outside through a hole in the wall and gazed up at the moon.

"Its about midnight, so that'll give us plenty of time to take care of this ghost problem of ours" said Da-Ming as confidently as he could.

As they walked down the hallway they passed a few rooms. Most of the doors were closed but then they came to a room with an open door. Da-Ming peered nervously inside. It was a large dark room, it was very hard to see and took a while for his eyes to adjust to the gloom. Suddenly he saw it, a white shape came floating directly at him!


	5. Chapter 5

Da-Ming fell onto his back with a scream. The others rushed to his side.

"What did you see!" asked Dong

"I saw it I saw it the ghost!" shouted Da-Ming pointing into the room. The room was empty.

"I know it was in here!" said Da-Ming looking about.

Da-Ming looked up right in above the door was a hole in the ceiling around the same size as the white shape.

"It must've saw you guys and got frightened and flew up through this hole" said Da-Ming pointing upwards.

"Then the ghost is on the third floor!" said Dong

"One of these doors must lead to the third floor, lets look for it!"

Da-Ming opened one door, the room was full of bones and nothing else, Da-Ming closed the door with a shudder. Then the moaning started again. It seemed even more horrid on the second floor then it was on the first floor. Dong opened another door and nearly jumped out of his skin when a white shape flew at him.

"The GHOST!" he shouted and fell over himself trying to get away.

They all ran for the stairs, but Da-Ming stopped himself halfway, this was no way of proving himself to Chin. Da-Ming drew his sword and approached the room. The other followed carefully behind him. When Da-Ming investigated the room he saw a white sheet hanging by a rope, the rope was attached to some hinges and connected to the door. The hinges looked too new for an old house.

"I think there's more to this ghost then we think" said Da-Ming who was feeling braver.

"Let's try the other doors!" said Cheng.

The group opened up all the doors they could find, some had similar traps in them, but nothing unusual, until they opened a door that lead to a staircase. As soon as the door was opened the house began shaking again and the moan was louder than ever.

But Da-Ming mustered up his courage and walked up the stairs. They finally made it to the third floor, at the very top of the house. The others followed behind Da-Ming, still uneasy.

"Oh come on you guys" said Da-Ming as he turned around to face the others "We know that someone's been joking with us, you heard Chin, ghosts aren't real!"

As soon as he said that a white shape floated down from the ceiling and landed right behind Da-Ming.

"Oh, I'm real" said the white shape.

Da-Ming screamed. The whole group Da-Ming, Cheng, Dong and the others raced downstairs to Chin.

"Boss BOSS! Wake up!"

Chin sprang to his feet, his Nan Dao sword in hand.

"Da-Ming we better be under attack, because if we aren't I'll-"

"No boss, ghosts! We were upstairs and we found all this stuff and we figure someone's been fooling us an-"

"Hold on hold, slow down, tell me what happened"

"Upstairs third floor! Ghost!"

"Oh for goodness sake not this nonsense again. I'll put an end to this ghost business once and for all" said Chin grumpily as he marched up the stairs with his sword in one hand and his rice flail in the other.

Chin walked up the stairs straight to the third floor, there was nothing there except for some large boxes. Unlike the rest of the house the third floor didn't have any dust or cobwebs. Chin began swinging the rice flail about in his hand scanning the third floor.

"Well there's nothing here at all, you idiots have woken me for the last time!"

"We're telling the truth boss honest!"

"Do you know what time it is! It's four in the bloody morning and you ninnies keep waking me up" said Chin as he swung his flail above his head.

His flail came into contact with something soft.

"Oof!" said the soft thing.

Chin looked up and grabbed whatever he had hit and pulled it down onto the floor. There before stood a frightened looking Fishing bat, her underbelly was pure white and the rest of her fur was a pale gray. In the darkness she looked completely white. She wore a black vest.

"Er…hello?" she said nervously.

"So you're the joker whose been scaring my gang!"

"*_squeek_* I'm sorry, please don't kill me"

"Oh I should kill you shouldn't I? I'm a viscous bandit after all"

"Hey boss check this out" said Da-Ming who had been rummaging through some of the boxes.

Da-Ming produced a large hollow tube from one of the boxes and blew through it, the tube made the same moaning sound they had heard earlier.

"So that's how you did it" said Chin stroking his long stringy black beard. "clever girl, clever girl, maybe I shouldn't kill you"

"Really?"

"Tell me how'd you make the house shake?"

"Oh that's easy" said the bat as she flew up to the ceiling and grabbed a large support beam, she then shock the support beam and the ancient house began to sway back and forth.

"What about that room of bones?" asked Dong "There was a whole room full of bones"

"Oh that" said the bat girl "Those are fish bones, I'm a fishing bat, I'm sorry if I scared you, its just that I live here all by myself and well I didn't know if you were hostile or not, this is a dangerous area I need to protect myself"

"So you scare people away from your home?" said Chin

"Well yes"

"You know I think there's room in my gang for someone like you"

"Oh, no thank you, that's quite alright, I'm happy here by myself"

"Let me rephrase that, join my gang or I'll kill you"

"OH! Well I er… if you put it that way I guess I'll uh join"

"Excellent, my name is Chin, the infamous bandit"

"Bai-Ling, who did you say you were again?"

"I am Chin, you've probably heard of me, I'm quite infamous"

"Sorry your name doesn't ring a bell"

"Very well then, you'll know of my exploits soon enough, come with us, I'm not feeling tired anymore, besides the storm has cleared away"

"Uh where are we going exactly?"

"We'll take my boat and sail off in search of new territory to conquer!"

"What's wrong with this house?" asked Bai-Ling "I overheard you saying you'd like to make this your territory"

"This place is good and all, but I'm looking for a more stronger fortress really, something that can withstand attacks, no offense but your house could be toppled over by the merest breeze"

"Well it is pretty old, you know I guess going off with you guys wouldn't be too bad, I'm getting tired of the old place anyways."

"Excellent" said Chin as he lead his gang outside, only to discover that the storm had smashed his boat up against a large rock.

"I guess we'll be walking then" said Chin

"Where to boss?" asked Da-Ming

"Let's head North, through that forest"

Bai-Ling became nervous, she didn't like that forest, not at all.


	6. Chapter 6

"Just curious" said Bai-Ling "But am I technically your prisoner?"

"Well that depends" said Chin "do you want to come with us?"

"Well, I do enjoy getting out of that old house, but I don't exactly enjoy being forced to travel with you, especially through _these_ woods"

"Well then in that case you ARE my prisoner, now what's wrong with these woods?"

"Well, they're a bit dangerous, especially when it's still dark out"

It was five in the morning and the sun had yet to come out, luckily the gang had carried some torches and lanterns with them.

"Supposing" said Bai-Ling "hypothetically, if I were to just flew off, would you be able to stop me?"

"Well yes, yes I could" said Chin removing a small metal tube from his sleeve "tell me have you ever heard of a sleeve arrow?"

"No"

"Well I'm saving this for something important so I won't demonstrate it right now, but I'll tell you, this metal tube can fire a little poison covered arrow that'll kill you in mere seconds if you try to escape, hypothetically of course"

"Ahhh, just making sure, oh and one more question"

"Yes?"

"What do you need me for exactly?"

"Two reasons, first thing you can fly, so I can use you as an aerial scout, second you're a tactician, like me, and I can use you to help me formulate my plans"

"What makes you believe I'm a tactician?"

"I know a genius when I see one, I look in a mirror every day, and I recognize that look in the eye, that little gleam of intelligence"

"Yeah well-"

"And you've frightened off how many intruders?"

"Oh about, I'd say it was uh about sixty three, not including you guys"

"Exactly, face it you and I are geniuses and in this world of bloody stupid brutes we need to stick together"

"Well I guess so"

Chin and his gang continued onward through the dark forest, never knowing that they were being watched. Somewhere amidst the dark foliage something hissed.

They walked through the forest until they came across an abandoned noodle cart, it was covered in claw marks and was flipped on its side.

"Who'd try to sell noodles way out here?" asked Chin

"Know one would, it was dragged here" said Bai-Ling pointing to some markings in the ground.

Da-Ming approached the cart and searched it thoroughly.

"Hey someone took all the food an-hey what's this? Hey boss come over here"

Chin approached and Da-Ming pointed to a thick liquid that was splattered on the cart, it was almost transparent with a greenish hue.

"Don't touch that Da-Ming" hissed Chin

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you later, but lets get out of here" Said Chin as he looked over his shoulder, he knew what the liquid was, and he didn't like it.

The gang pressed onward, the sun beginning to rise, but the woods seemed to continue forever onward. The gang marched until midday before Chin heard the hissing sound. Chin grabbed Bai-Ling and whispered into her ear.

"I don't want to alert the others, but we're being followed, now tell me what's so dangerous about these woods?"

"There are many bandits here" said Bai-Ling "But the most feared are called 'The Warriors of the Deadly Maw'"

"The warriors of the deadly maw?"

"Yeah because they're you know K-"

"Shhh! I think I know what they are, just tell me how much farther do these woods go?"

"We're almost out of them, we just need to cross a river and then we're in the fields"

"Will they follow us there?"

"Probably, but there's a town close by where we could hide out in"

"Good"

The gang stopped to rest, they were all thoroughly exhausted; never knowing, that dark shapes were slowly making their way through the forest towards them.


	7. Chapter 7

Chin and his gang were sitting in a circle eating some of the few provisions they had, never noticing the dark sinister shapes approaching. A faint hissing sound drew Chin's attention; he slowly rested his hand on the handle of his sword.

"I think that's enough rest for today, lets go"

Chin's gang grumbled as they got to their feet and began to march. Chin could glimpse dark silhouettes moving through the forest. And then Cheng, who was behind him, disappeared. Chin looked behind him, his single eye wide with fear. Then Bai-Ling who was in front of him, disappeared just as suddenly.

"Run!" Chin shouted to the remaining gang members.

They were off racing through the forest, gang members disappearing left and right until Chin was all alone. He stood there surrounded by large dark trees, hissing sounds came from every direction. Chin drew his sword and spun around in circles so the enemy couldn't attack him from behind. This did little good as four large scaly shapes emerged slowly from the brush and approached him.

Each one was of massive built, with dark greenish scales, they were all armed to the teeth, and a thick greenish liquid dripped from their fang filled jaws. One of them, bigger than the others, was covered head to toe in armor; in one clawed hand he held a fearsome nine section whip, in the other he held a huge Kan-Dao sword.

Chin faced the biggest one, trying to look as brave as he could; he swung his Nan-Dao in front of him in a viscous pattern. He tried to look the massive beast in front of him straight in the face, but couldn't. Chin had many scars, but this huge lizard had more. Gruesome scars crisscrossed across his face, and his mouth was twisted into a sinister and slimy grin.

Chin gulped

"You've entered our forest, that makes you food" said the big lizard.

"That's fine really" said Chin backing away "I was just leaving, I'll be out of your hair-scales in no time honest!"

The other lizards circled around him cutting off his escape. Chin swung his sword around but to little affect, the big lizard grabbed his sword in one massive claw, and grabbed Chin in the other and carried him off. They took Chin to a clearing, there were many lizards there, Chin noticed the rest of his gang including Bai-Ling and Cheng were there to.

Sitting on a throne in the middle of the clearing, right in front of a roaring fire was a huge lizard dressed in elegant silks and jewelry. His massive claws were covered in rings.

"I am Zui Zhi-Ming, king of Komodo Dragons and general of the Warriors of the Deadly Maw, who are you that enters my wood?" said the big lizard, who's voice was very high pitched.

"Ch-Chin the uh feared bandit" said Chin

"Are you their leader" said Zhi-Ming gesturing at Chin's gang

"Yes?" Chin hazarded.

"Ah, luckily for I am a very polite lizard"

"Really?"

"Yes, I've been trained in the arts of etiquette since I was hatched, as leader you shall be eaten last, as our custom"

"Oh, Bugger" said Chin

"I believe we'll start with that bat" said Zhi-Ming pointing at Bai-Ling

"M-Me!" Bai-Ling stammered "But I'm a bat, I'm good luck!"

"Exactly my dear, what better way to gain good luck then by ingesting it"

Zhi-Ming stood up from his throne and grabbed Bai-Ling by the wings and hauled her over to the fire. Chin didn't have many redeeming qualities, but he wasn't about to let a member of his gang get eaten by a bunch of cold blooded twits. Chin looked passed the Komodo dragons and gasped.

"AAAAAAAAA!" shouted Chin "Lookout here it comes!"

Everyone, the Dragons, Zhi-Ming, and Chin's gang looked where Chin was looking.

"W-what's coming?" asked the big komodo dragon nervously, his grip on Chin beginning to loosen.

"You didn't see it! It was big and horrible!"

"It's that thing from the ocean!" shouted Da-Ming who still hadn't realized Chin was fooling him "It's come out to get us!"

The komodo dragons stood wide eyed looking in every direction. All the komodo dragons but Zhi-Ming.

"Oh don't be stupid, he's just trying to scare you!"

No one listened.

"Its horrible!" said Da-Ming "it's got more teeth then eyes and more armed then teeth!"

"Look out!" shouted Chin "Its headed straight for us!"

The komodo dragons ran, those that had been holding Chin's gang let go, including the big one that held Chin.

"Lets go boss!" shouted Da-Ming "It'll get us"

"Shut up Da-Ming" said Chin, looking straight at Zhi-Ming, who still stood there with Bai-Ling in his claws.

"Your minions are stupider then mine" Said Chin with a wicked little smile.

"I still have your bat" Said Zhi-Ming drawing a dagger "And as soon as I kill her I'll kill you too"

Chin reached into his sleeve and withdrew his sleeve arrow, and quickly fired it at the Komodo dragon; it stuck him in the shoulder, barely causing a scratch against his thick hide.

"Bugger!" Chin cursed "I missed my mark!"

"What do you mean?" asked Bai-Ling "its poisoned isn't it?"

"Do I look like I can afford poison; I just made that up to stop you from flying away!"

"Oh"

"I was aiming for his head!"

Zhi-Ming cackled

"Looks like I win this little battle of ours" said Zhi-Ming

Chin grabbed a handful of sand and threw it into Zhi-Ming's eyes.

"Aiiiiiiiiiiii!" shrieked Zhi-Ming as he let go of Bai-Ling.

"Let's go!" shouted Chin, as he and his gang ran off, Bai-Ling flying overhead.

"Follow me!" shouted Bai-Ling "I know the way!"

Bai-Ling lead them through the forest and over the bridge, soon they came to the fields, Chin could see a small town nearby. The gang all made their way towards the town; close behind them Zhi-Ming and a few other komodo dragons came running after them, hissing angrily.

"Get them!" Shrieked Zhi-Ming rather girlishly "They shall pay for this insult!"

Chin and his gang just made it into the town before a large group of rhino guards confronted them.

"You! What business do you have in this place?" said their leader

"You will have to check your weapons before entering" said another

"Dragons!" shouted Chin "Komodo Dragons coming this way!"

As if on cue, Zhi-Ming and his Komodo Dragons came charging in. while the guards were distracted Chin and his gang slipped inside the town. The komodo dragons were fierce but they were outnumbered, and not as powerful as the rhinos.

"What do you want Zhi-Ming!" snorted their leader "You'll never take the town this way"

"Well you see" said Zhi-Ming as he cowered under the titanic guard "I was just er…I'll just clear off shall I?"

Zhi-Ming was big, but not nearly as big as the rhino. Zhi-Ming and his Komodo Dragons scurried off, but Zhi-Ming turned around and shouted.

"This isn't over rat! I'll get you yet! You'll pay for insulting the great Zui Zhi-Ming!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chin and his gang were seated in a dark alley under an awning. The guards had forgotten all about them.

"Well?" said Chin looking at Bai-Ling

"Well what?" asked Bai-Ling

"Aren't you going to fly away now? There's nothing keeping you from doing so"

"Yeah well, I've been thinking, you know, I sorta owe you one for saving me, even though it's your fault I was that forest in the first place, and well, I guess it would be kinda fun to be a bandit for a while."

"Excellent" said Chin "You'll see, once we find ourselves some good territory we'll be the most feared gang in all of China, with me the most feared of bandits!"

"Well what about this town?"

"Er, I'm looking for easier territory to conquer, something small with little to no guards. Something I can build up into a mighty bandit empire"

Bai-Ling shrugged, she didn't understand how Chin's mindset worked and she didn't care to; she had no idea how Chin would build up his empire, but as long as they had a good time doing it she didn't care.

"So what do we do now boss?" asked Da-Ming

"Let's try to find something to eat, then we'll steal any supplies we can and head north, towards those mountains" said Chin pointing northward at the great snow capped mountains a mile or so away from the town.

Chin and his gang slowly sat up.

"Da-Ming, Cheng, Dong and the rest of you go and explore the alleys, find any food you can find, Bai-Ling you're with me"

Chin and Bai-Ling wandered up to a fruit stand. The small pig that ran the stand looked at them suspiciously.

"Good day good sir" said Chin tipping his rice hat "I'm uh Pi-Shu and this is my assistant, we're magicians you see"

"Magicians?" asked the pig

"Yes, and you're in luck, today we shall entertain you for free!"

"Oh really!" asked the pig who was beginning to get excited.

"Yes, if I might barrow one peach to show you" said Chin grabbing a peach from the stand "Behold!"

Chin closed his hands around the peach, and then cast his hands into the air, the peach was gone. The pig applauded and clapped his trotters together. As Chin walked off he grabbed the peach which he had hidden under his hat and took a bite out of it.

"How'd you do that?" asked Bai-Ling

"Oh it's just a little sleight of hand, I haven't done it in a while, still a bit rusty, but oh well"

"Who taught you that?"

"Oh I taught myself"

"Really?"

"Yeah, thanks to all my failures I've plenty time to practice and train, instead of wasting my time on, you know, winning." Said Chin as he spat on the ground "Peh! This peach is all bruised!"

"Aw don't worry Chin, I'm sure your plans will succeed one day, maybe your training will pay off"

"Training never does me a lick of good though"

Chin went on to do the same trick on two other fruit stands and did the same at the fish market for Bai-Ling. The fish were very fresh, caught straight from a nearby stream. They then met up with the rest of Chin's gang.

"Look boss!" shouted Da-Ming "I got half a cabbage! Smells kinda rotten though"

"Excellent" said Chin "What about you Dong?"

"I got an apple core with some apple still on it, a couple of crumbs, and a crust of bread!"

"Great Cheng?"

"I managed to steal a couple handfuls of raw rice!"

"Great, Da-Ming you go find something we can use as a pot, Cheng you start a fire and Dong you'll get some water, we'll make soup"

After Chin and his gang had eaten and slept, they made their way out of town with very little food and few supplies.

"Er…Boss?"

"Yes Da-Ming?"

"Are we gonna have to climb that mountain?"

"Yes Da-Ming"

"Er… Why?"

"Look" said Chin pointing near the top "Smoke, that means there's people up there, and that means there's loot, besides these plains just go on for miles, we'll make our way over the mountains and get a better view, that way we can spot our new territory"

"Oh…Is mountain climbing hard?"

"No, no its quite easy"

"Oh good" Said Da-Ming who didn't understand sarcasm.

Chin's gang continued onward towards the snowy mountain slopes.


	9. Chapter 9

Chin and his gang were marching towards the snowy mountain slopes, the fields gradually turned into a rocky hillside as it led upward.

"So uh, Chin sir?" Asked Bai-Ling nervously "Are we you know, er, friends?"

"What are you talking about Bai-Ling?" asked Chin

"You know, are we friends?"

"We're comrades in a sense, yes, but not what I'd call friends, team mates that's the word, we're team mates"

"Oh"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well it's just… you know, I lived alone, and well, _I've never really had a friend before_"

"Well that's too bad"

"I mean couldn't you just consider me, you know, your friend?"

"Why?"

"I'd like it"

"Fine we're friends, happy?"

"Can we be friends too boss?" asked Da-Ming

"No"

"Aw"

"So could we do each other's hair and talk about guys?" asked Bai-Ling

"What?"

"That's what friends do right?"

"That's what girls do, not what men do"

"Oh, sorry, I learned about friends by watching my sisters and their friends"

"I thought you lived alone"

"Well not at first, I lived in that house with my family, but then my mother took sick and died and well, my sisters left, they said they'd be back, but they never returned"

"I'm sorry to hear that but-"

"I never actually had friends really, I spent time with my sisters sure, and I watched what they did with their friends and-"

"I don't care"

"Oh…we're still friends right?"

"*_sigh*_ sure"

"Yay!"

Chin and his gang continued until they had reached a steep cliff at the base of the mountain. Chin removed some rope from his belt with a makeshift grappling hook tied to the end.

"Mountain climbing is easy" Said Chin confidently "If you have the right equipment"

Chin swung the rope into the air and it hooked onto a large rock above them.

"Give the rope a good tug to make sure it's safe to climb" Said Chin pulling on the rope.

The large rock the rope was wrapped around slid off the edge and fell. Chin got out of the way just in time as it crashed into the ground where he was standing.

"Er…see I told you it was easy, Da-Ming you go first"

"But boss"

"Shut Da-Ming and climb that mountain!"

"Yes sir!"

Da-Ming unwrapped the grappling hook from the rock and clumsily swung it onto the cliff, it hooked around a more sturdy looking rock. Da-Ming gave it a good pull and ran off. The rock stood still. Chin and his gang slowly made their way up, except for Bai-Ling who flew. The mountain was cold and rough, sharp rocks cut at their feet, and icy winds stung their soft flesh. Bai-Ling had trouble flying in the powerful winds and walked besides Chin, her wings wrapped around her like a blanket.

"H-how m-much f-f-farther?" asked Bai-Ling, the chattering of her teeth sounded the chirping of hyperactive crickets.

"N-not much m-more" responded Chin.

Chin bent down suddenly, his little rat noise sniffing away. With a sweep of his little clawed hands Chin brushed away snow to reveal burnt wood arranged in a circle.

"A c-campfire w-was here" said Chin "I knew I-I s-saw smoke on th-this mountain, c-come one, th-this means there's p-people to rob!"

There was a brief cheer from Chin's gang.

"L-look!" shouted Bai-Ling pointing forwards "Over th-there m-more smoke! They're cl-close!"

"Let's get them!" Shouted Chin

The gang charged in the direction of the smoke, once they got there they stopped dead in their tracks. Two yaks, each bigger than six rats standing on their shoulders, were engaged in some form of unarmed combat, next to their campfire. Around them, rooting them on, were a whole herd of yaks. The biggest one was taller than a tree, wore nothing but a loin cloth, and had a huge meteor hammer in his great hoofs, Chin assumed he was their leader.

One yak toppled the other onto his back, but just as soon as he was down he sprung up again and delivered a viscous head butt to the other. The fight lasted only a short while with the victor helping the loser up. They patted each other on the back like friends.

"Er… maybe we'll just leave these guys be" Chin whispered.

Da-Ming, it seems, didn't hear this, and drew his sword and charged forward towards the yaks.

"Give us all you got, this is a robbery!"

Da-Ming flew through the air over Chin's head and into a pile of snow.

"You!" bellowed the leader of the yaks pointing at Chin "Are you the leader?"

"Leader! Me? No, no, no that was the guy you just hit, I'm his faithful second in command"

"Go get 'em Boss!" bellowed Da-Ming who hadn't heard what Chin had said.

"Heh heh heh, uhhh it seems you knocked the sense out of him"

One of the yaks grabbed Chin and pulled him to where the two were fighting.

"This is Yak clan territory!" he bellowed "If you want to pass you must fight one of us!"

"Er…"

"You will fight Yang, our leader"

"I-uh…Wait! Hold on!"

Chin was pushed forward, and the big yak, Yang, stepped forward. The meteor hammer in his hand looked especially heavy close up. Chin slowly got to his feet, and turned around.

"Well, I don't know, I don't exactly believe in violen-"

Chin spun around and planted a kick straight into Yang's groin before he could react. Yang toppled over into the ground.

"Oh would you look at that I won" said Chin.

"No…Fair" Yang managed to stutter.

Chin kicked him again.

"I believe this calls for a proverb 'he who is must masculine suffers most when kicked between legs'"

"Not… Fair…fight!"

The other yaks drew various weapons from their belts and snorted angrily.

"You must fight again!" ordered one of the yaks "Or we'll kill you!"

"Uhhh-Runaway!" shouted Chin

Chin's gang was gone in a flash, speeding down the mountain with a whole clan of angry yaks behind them.


	10. Chapter 10

Chin's gang came tumbling down the steep snowy mountain slopes, the clan of yaks right on their heels. Chin ran as fast as his little rat legs could carry him, half the time he was rolling down the slopes. Bai-Ling flew safely overhead, monitoring the whole scene. Bai-Ling swooped down towards the snow like she did when she was fishing, but instead of fish she grabbed a few handfuls of snow, which she balled up.

Bai-Ling tossed the snowballs at some of the yaks, it did little good but to distract them from Chin and his gang temporarily.

"Oh blast!" Bai-Ling exclaimed "I'll have to try something with more of a punch"

Looking down, Bai-Ling noticed Yang swinging his meteor hammer, the bronze weight at the end was just as big as a large snow ball. Wasting no time she swooped downward and grabbed the weight in her large clawed feet. This proved hard to do, for yang still gripped it by the rope and gave a sturdy tug. Bai-Ling was no match for Yang's strength and the weight was ripped from her feet and heading straight for yang.

Bong! The bronze weight hit Yang right on the head and bounced off. It took Yang a few seconds to recover, being a yak he was used to hitting his head against things. Luckily this gave Chin and his gang a good head start ahead of Yang, the member of the clan they feared the most.

Suddenly, opening up before the gang like the mouth of a dragon, was a huge ravine. It was hard to see for the two great cliffs on either side of it were almost completely horizontal. A beautiful waterfall poured into the ravine from the mountains and formed a river at the base. The river snaked around the great jagged rocks that lined the bottom like many sharp teeth.

Chin and his gang stopped just in time, nearly sliding over into the ravine. Their clawed toes hung just over the steep Cliffside. A single pebble tumbled downwards. They didn't hear it hit the bottom.

"Buggery and bothery!" Chin exclaimed, his single eye wide with terror.

"What now boss!" asked Da-Ming

"Errrrrrrrrrrr" Chin muttered as he scanned the ravine "There!" he shouted pointing towards a rickety old wooden bridge a little ways away from them.

"_That_ bridge boss?" asked Da-Ming, his face creased with worry.

"No I meant the other bridge! The magical one we can't see!"

"Oh good, for a second I thought you meant that old rickety one"

Chin slapped Da-Ming upside the head.

Meanwhile Bai-Ling was doing her best to distract the yaks, keeping them just far enough from Chin's gang. She repeatedly swooped around in front of them, blurring their vision and catching their attention. Their weapons were no match for her as she swooped acrobatically in the air dodging blow after blow.

"Hehehehe this is fun" Bai-Ling said, a huge sharp toothed grin on her face.

No sooner had she said this when Yang's meteor hammer swung up from directly below her. Although she dodged the weight just in time, her wing became entangled in the rope midair. Bai-Ling crashed to the ground. She had just enough time to pick herself up when the yaks came charging at her.

Bai-Ling ran towards the ravine, in her fear she had temporarily forgotten how to fly. She made it to the edge of ravine just as Chin and the rest of the gang ran for the bridge. Bai-Ling stopped just on the edge and froze up. There's nothing worse than standing at least sixty feet above a rocky bed of sharp rocks and forgetting how to fly.

"C'mon you bloody stupid bat! This way!" shouted Chin.

Without thinking Bai-Ling ran blindly towards Chin and the rest of the gang. They charged across the old wooden bridge. As they ran the bridge swung and rattled dangerously. They were halfway across the bridge when Yang and his clan arrived on the other side. Wasting no time they too ran across the bridge, however the bridge could hardly contain the weight of the rats, and the addition of yaks made it worse.

Suddenly the ancient ropes snapped and the bridge swung forward, Chin and his gang clung to the wooden boards with their little rat hands, and Bai-Ling with her claws. The yaks however fell. Most fell into the river, but a few tumbled into the snow banks or onto some of the rocks. Luckily for them, however, that none of them died, but there were more than enough skinned knees and broken bones.

Yang clambered out of the river, his right horn had broken off.

"RAT! I WILL FIND YOU!" Yang hollered. His booming voice caused a small avalanche which fell unto the group of yaks, partially burying them.

Yang groaned.

"HAH!" exclaimed Chin as he made a snow ball and chucked it at Yang, which was a bit overkill, but Chin didn't care.

"I can't believe we escaped them!" said Cheng his eyes wide with shock.

"Yeah well, when you're traveling with the most intelligent (and most handsome) of bandits then you should expect the unexpected." Said Chin as he walked away.

The rest of the gang followed Chin down a couple slopes and off of the mountain.


	11. Chapter 11

The wind blew the grass of a wide open field as Chin and his gang walked through, leaving the snowy mountain behind them. The muddy ground squelched noisily beneath their feet, small puddles were everywhere. Ahead of them was a large river that flowed lazily towards the North East.

"We'll follow the river" said Chin breaking the silence "If there's water then there's civilization, and civilization means no bloody yaks!"

Without a word Chin and his gang marched alongside the river. The sun had already set before they made it to the river, so they were surrounded by darkness until Chin lit a torch.

"Err Boss?" Da-Ming asked nervously

"Yes?"

"Its kinda spooky out here"

"Oh not this again! Da-Ming there is nothing to worry about!"

"Okay…just making sure…you know"

"Da-Ming"

"Yeah boss?"

"Shut up"

"Sure thing boss! I-errrr _did you hear that?"_

"What are you talking about now?"

"I heard noises sir!"

"You most certainly did not!"

"But Boss! I coulda swore I heard-"

Da-Ming was suddenly cut off by a distant howling sound.

"Errrr" said Chin "Well let's go, c'mon the sooner we find a town the sooner we can sleep somewhere safe!"

The gang continued onward until they finally could go no farther.

"We'll just rest here tonight" said Chin "We'll look for a town in the morning, maybe we could claim it as our own if it isn't properly guarded."

Chin and his gang slept, but it was an uneasy sleep. Da-Ming would frequently wake up with the feeling he was being watched. Occasionally he would glimpse two dimly glowing orbs that would disappear suddenly. They resembled eyes.

When morning finally came Chin and his gang wasted no time in continuing down the river. Soon they could smell sea salt and hear waves crashing against the shore. Then they saw it, some ways ahead of them built right where the river came into the sea, were the ruins of an ancient port town.

The entire town was old and decrepit, but still standing.

"This place is perfect" said Chin with a gleam in his eyes.

"But boss, what if this place is-"

"It isn't haunted Da-Ming!"

"But!"

"I already proved ghosts don't exist, remember Bai-Ling?"

"Speaking of me"

"Quiet you!"

"But Chin!" Bai-Ling started

"I won't hear any more of this ghost nonsense!"

"But this place might actually be, well hau-"

"Bai-Ling I swear if you don't shut up I'll cut you to ribbons and feed what's left of you to the sharks"

"Er…Yes boss"

"Now, Da-Ming you go find a boat and make it sure it's seaworthy, we'll act as pirates and keep our treasure stashed here! The rest of you make this place look presentable!"

"But Chin" Bai-Ling moaned.

"What? And don't call me Chin, call me sir or boss!"

"Sorry boss, but this place is actually haunted!"

"Oh really now, coming from another so called '_ghost_'"

"But this place is really, honest to goodness, legitimately haunted!"

"Yeah and I'm the Emperor of Heaven, your tricks don't work on me Bai-Ling"

But Chi-Boss, look over there!" said Bai-Ling as she pointed down the coast "Recognize those cliffs?"

"…No?"

"They're the same cliffs that were nearby my house!"

"What are you getting at?"

"This village is just a few miles up coast from where I lived"

"Wait, are you telling me I had to fight my way through komodo dragons and yaks just to get here when I could've just walked a few miles up the coast!"

"W-well yes, I-I guess so" said Bai-Ling taking a few steps back.

Chin suddenly grabbed her by the vest and pulled her forward, staring at her hard with his single eye.

"And you didn't tell me about this!"

"I-it's a B-bad town s-sir, a V-very bad t-town!"

"A bad town! This place is wonderful, its sturdier then your old house, and unoccupied! Its perfect!"

"There's a bad history to this town boss!"

"What on earth are you talking about now!"

"Me and my family used to live near here, and well, we heard stories"

"Such as?"

"Well that one day everyone in the town just sorta, _disappeared_, or maybe they all died, and since then the place has been haunted or cursed or something. Others have tried to live here before, but they fled shortly after"

"And you expect me to believe this?"

"Er…_yes_"

"Look Bai-Ling, I understand, you're superstitious, after all my years serving aboard ships with frightened sailors, I understand, but you need to understand that IF YOU DON'T CUT IT OUT I'LL RIP OUT YOUR GUTS!" Chin shouted catching Bai-Ling off guard.

"Yes sir, right away sir" and as soon as Chin was out of earshot "Don't say I didn't warn you sir"


	12. Chapter 12

It was now late at night, Chin and his gang had fortified one of the buildings. Bai-ling had caught some fish which Chin ate greedily.

"This place is wonderful!" exclaimed Chin spewing chunks of fish as he spoke "No one around for miles and big enough to house an army!"

"There's a good reason there's no one near here" muttered Bai-Ling under her breath.

"What was that Bai-Ling?"

"Nothing boss"

"Good"

"Nothing about how haunted this place is"

"Bai-Ling?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up, right before we met you my whole gang though that your house was haunted, guess what, it wasn't!"

"Alright but this place is haunted, you have to believe me sir!"

"Believe the make belief ghost who lived just a couple miles from here yet never told us? I think not!"

"But boss!"

"But nothing! I don't care Bai-Ling, I don't know what you're getting at but it isn't going to work this time, right boys?"

Chin looked over towards the rest of his gang who were huddled in a corner shivering.

"Oh for goodness sake! Are you stupid lot of yellow-bellied- half-mice going to fall for this twice!"

"Errrr…No sir" said Da-Ming trying to sound as brave as he could.

"Well then, I trust there won't be any more of this haunted town nonsense any more, that means you Bai-Ling"

"Er yes sir" said Bai-Ling looking at her feet.

"Now, let's all just enjoy our dinner, then we'll discuss business"

From somewhere outside there came a low moaning sound.

"BAI-LING!"

"It wasn't me!"

"I don't know how you did it but I'm not falling for this!"

"How could it be me, I'm inside!"

"I don't know…Ventriloquism? Yeah! YEAH VENTRILOQUISM! That's it!"

"But boss!"

"Oh no you don't! We are staying here and that's final!"

The moaning became somewhat louder.

"I don't think the ghosts like that sir" said Da-Ming

"Oh really? The 'ghosts' don't like it huh?"

Chin walked over to a window flung it open and shouted.

"WE ARE STAYING HERE AND THAT IS FINAL!"

Chin's gang was silent and stared wide eyed at the window as if expecting something. The moaning sound had stopped.

"See no ghosts, happy?"

"But sir…_what if you made them mad?"_

"Oh no I offended something that doesn't exist! I'm so sorry, I'll just leave this little bit of paradise for something I can't see!"

"But boss!"

"But nothing! I'm not putting up with anymore of this superstitious buggery!"

With that Chin sat down and finished off the rest of his dinner. While inside, there was something lurking outside. It stared at the well lit building with glowing red eyes, waiting.

The next morning Chin woke up early. In one clawed paw he lifted up a large old metal pot and with the other he held up a ladle; without any warning Chin rung the pot like a bell in the middle of the room where his gang was sleeping. They all woke up with a start, scrambling for their weapons as if they were being attacked.

"Well, since your up you might as well help me fortify the buildings in case of an attack" said Chin.

"Aw boss" said Da-Ming "Just a little bit longer, I was having such a lovely dream-"

"Shut your mouth Da-Ming! You've got work to do, you're job is to give this entire building fresh coat of paint, I found some old containers in the basement, get to work"

It was an incredibly foggy morning, half of the abandoned town was hidden in a thick gray vapor. Chin's gang nervously got to work adding makeshift fortifications to many of the buildings. Although the town wasn't as creepy as it was at night, they still looked over their shoulders occasionally.

"Bai-Ling" Chin said "This is where my bandit empire begins"

Bai-Ling was silent.

"Oh don't be so reserved! Once this town is fortified we'll be feared bandits!"

"Last night we were lucky, who knows what'll happen to us tonight"

"Oh shut up Bai-Ling, you great bleedin' nay sayer!"

Bai-Ling looked down at her feet.

"You know if just told me that there was a whole abandoned town here, we wouldn't have had to go through all that trouble with the yaks and komodo dragons!"

"But Chi-Boss, I've heard horrible stories about this place! Really awful stories, I don't like it here, not one bit!"

"I don't care if you don't like it, we're staying and that's that! How'd a shut in like you hear these stories anyways?"

"Well, I heard them from my sisters and their friends"

"And where'd they hear them?"

"Well there's another town to the west an-"

"WAIT! A different town!"

"Er…"

Chin grabbed Bai-Ling by the vest and shook her.

"WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME THESE THINGS!"

"Well, that town, it's heavily guarded so, you know, that's a more _real_ excuse"

"Very well then, we'll leave that town be, for now, but we're staying here and I mean that, no ghost, no ghoul, no vampire is going to make me leave!"


	13. Chapter 13

It was just after sunset, and Chin had commanded the rest of his gang to continue working. Da-Ming and the rest of the gang were, of course, frightened of the idea of staying outside n a haunted town at night, but they continued to work anyway. Da-Ming just had entered one of the houses and was about to begin fortifying it when he heard a strange sound coming from one of the windows. He cautiously crept closer to the window. Suddenly, there were two glowing red eyes, staring directly into his.

Da-Ming gave a scream and ran out of the house faster than the blink of an eye.

"What is all the commotion about!" demanded Chin as he stepped out of one of the houses.

"Eyes boss! I saw EYES! They were scary and glowing and red an-"

"Da-Ming"

"Yeah boss?"

"Those were probably just fire flies you yellow-bellied ninny!"

"Er…you sure?"

"Do I look sure?"

Da-Ming stared at Chin, and was quite certain that that was the surest look that anyone could ever give.

"Er yes boss"

Then there came a moaning, from the same house Da-Ming had fled from. Da-Ming instantly huddled behind Chin.

"Bai-Ling!" Chin shouted.

"Yes sir?" asked Bai-Ling from behind them.

The moaning continued.

"Is this one of your ghost pranks?"

"No boss! How could I do it? I'm right here behind you!"

"Very well then" said Chin as he drew his sword "Then it must be another prankster, and I'll see to him"

Chin kicked the door of the house open and scanned the room with his one eye. He scourged very corner of the house looking for the trickster, but he couldn't find anyone. The moaning had long since stopped. Without a word Chin sheathed his sword and walked out.

"Just the… er wind, yeah the wind!, its just the wind you bunch of spineless idiots!"

"But boss that didn't sound like-"

"IT WAS WIND!"

"Er…yes boss, it was wind!"

"Now get back to work!"

"D-Do we have to boss?"

"Yes!"

"It's just that, its, you know, kinda scary an-"

"Oh very well, come on in we'll have dinner, but crack of dawn tommarows I want you all working!"

"Thanks boss!"

After dinner Chin summoned Bai-Ling to a talk with him.

"Alright Bai-Ling, we're dealing with another trickster here, I'm going to need your help to put a stop to him, you know how this all works."

"But sir, it isn't a trickster sir!"

"Bai-Ling?"  
>"Sir?"<p>

"It's a trickster!"

"Yes sir"

"Now tell me some of these stories you've heard about this place, I want to know what other elements this trickster will use"

"Well, there's moaning, strange sounds, ghostly apparitions, the same things I used in my haunted house, hell this place was the inspiration for it"

"So it's the same deal then?"

"Pretty much, well except for, well the glowing lights"

"The glowing lights?"

"They say that you can sometimes see glowing lights in the air floating around, I could never find a way to pull that one off, I tried holding lanterns and flying around in the air, but the lantern just illumanted my body, and there isn't anything supernatural about a bat carrying a lantern"

"Bai-Ling I asked you about lights not about lanterns and bats!"

"Sorry"

"Now we just have to find this prankster and put an end to his nonsense"

"Please Chin I'm asking you as a friend, let's just leave this place! No good will come of it!"

"Shut up Bai-Ling, we're staying! How many times must I say this!"

"But Chin please!"

"Boss, you'll call me Boss or Sir or Mr. Do, not Chin!"

"Please Boss, can't you just listen to a…to a _friend_"

"Oh knock it off with this friend nonsense! Now if you aren't going to help me leave me be, I have to plan counter attacks for this prankster!"

Bai-Ling walked to the door and paused, she looked like she was about to say something, then she was silent and closed the door quietly behind her.

Later the next morning, Chin's gang were hard at work fortifying the town, it was beginning to look more like a stronghold now.

"Good, good, Da-Ming careful with the- oh never mind, just clean it up, I'll be inside if anyone needs me"

As Chin was walking inside he suddenly tripped over and crashed into the wooden floor, his rice hat practically flew off his head. Chin picked himself up, his one eye wide with rage. There in the doorway was a trip wire that wasn't there an hour ago.

"That no good blaggard!" Chin exclaimed "You'll get yours you great bloody smart Alec!"

"Chi-Boss are you okay?" asked Bai-Ling who seemed more concerned then she should have been.

"Yes, yes I'm fine, just a bloody trick" mumbled Chin as he dusted himself off.

"Sir you're bleeding!"

"What? Oh"

A small trail of blood trickled down his nose.

"It's nothing, just a nosebleed, I hit it pretty hard on the floor." Chin assured.

"I just hope that whoever (or whatever) it is doesn't do anything else harmful"

"HE wont by the time I'm done with him"

"Just the same boss, we should be more careful"

"Don't worry I'll think of something, we'll catch this trickster and put an end to his little pranks, now get back to whatever it was you were doing"

Bai-Ling flew off and left Chin to start thinking up ways to rid himself of the prankster.


	14. Chapter 14

Chin stared out the window, scanning the town for the trickster, but to no avail. he was just about to give up when he heard an all too familiar scream.

"Da-Ming! What are you doing now!"

"Sir I think you should come see this!" answered Da-Ming

Chin ran outside, the sun had just sunk below the horizon. Floating around in the sky were lights. Instinctively Chin took out his sleeve arrow and fired at one of the lights, the arrow passed right through it.

"What are they sir?" asked Da-Ming

"They're…er…swamp gas! That's it swamp gas!"

"But we're nowhere near a swamp"

"Shut up Da-Ming, ghosts don't exist! I proved this before!"

"But sir!"

"Da-Ming who are you more afraid of, ghosts, who don't exist and cannot hurt you, or me, who can quite easily hurt you"

"You sir!"

"Good, now get inside, we'll have dinner, and I had better not hear anymore of this ghost nonsense!"

Inside Chin and his gang sat down for dinner. Bai-Ling had caught a lot of fish and Chin was devouring them.

"So" said Chin after ripping the head of a fish "Have any of you noticed anything suspicious?"

"Well there are the lights" said Da-Ming

"Swamp gas" said Chin automatically

"And the moaning" Said Dong

"Either the prankster or the wind"

"What about the booby traps?" said Cheng

"There's more!"

"Yeah, just this morning I fell through a hole in the floor, someone removed the boards and I fell straight into the water, it was freezing!"

"That cheeky git!"

"Then there was also the bricks on the ropes"

"The _what_?"

"I walked into a building and I stepped on a wire next thing I know bricks come swinging down on ropes, nearly knocked my teeth out!"

"Blast!"

"Yeah and then there was also the glue trap an-"

"Never mind all that, we have to plan, we'll get the drop on this blaggard yet or my name isn't Do Chin!"

"What're we gonna do boss?"

"I've thought up one idea, but I'm going to need all you to help me" said Chin as he drew his gang into a huddle.

It was almost midnight, Da-Ming walked through the town mumbling under his breath.

"Why do I always have to be the bait?"

A cold wind blew through the town and gave Da-Ming goose bumps. He would routinely look around, his eyes wide with fear. Red eyes, he kept seeing red eyes and dark shadowy shapes moving throughout the town, through alleyways and walkways and on top of roofs.

Suddenly Da-Ming felt something tap him on the shoulder. He slowly turned around. There behind him was a large black shape with glowing red eyes. As if on cue a bolt of lightning flashed behind it. Da-Ming screamed and ran away so fast that the dark shape hardly had time to react. It gave chase.

As Da-Ming ran he crashed right into another dark shape. It was almost identical. Again Da-Ming screamed and ran. This time he sped down an alleyway, two black shadows at his heels. As he ran two glowing lights zipped overhead. Da-Ming was close to the end of the alley, and just as he reached it a third dark shape leaped out and shouted "BOO!"

Da-Ming nearly leapt out of his skin, his hairless tail was rigid with fear and his teeth were chattering so much that it seemed like they would chatter right out of his mouth. Da-Ming ran straight for the middle of the town. Then they came out of nowhere.

Five black shapes circled around him, they cut off all escape routes. It was just then that Chin appeared on a roof above them.

"NOW!" Chin shouted.

Bai-Ling flew out of a nearby window and dropped a net on top of them. Da-Ming just jumped out of the way in time. Then, once the net was upon the dark shapes, the rest of Chin's gang appeared from their hiding places. Each one grabbed a rope and held it tight securing the dark shadows where they were.

Chin pulled out a lantern and illuminated the scene. There weren't dark shadows in the net anymore, just wolves with black fur and red eyes.

"AHA!" exclaimed Chin "I told you they weren't ghosts! Just a lot of mongrels trying to steal our territory!"

"Alright so you caught us" said one of the wolves "I have to admit you found a pretty good spot here for a hideout"

"So you tried to scare us out of it huh?"

"Yeah, we overhead that bat talking about this place being haunted, it was easy we just had to make a bunch of sounds and set up traps and such, you lot sure scared easily!"

"Why are you just telling us this?"

"What? You think you won? This is just a net!" said the wolf as he drew a sword and slashed his way out of the net.

"Oh…bother"

"I was gloating you silly little rodent! You really thought you could defeat us with ropes?"

"Well…oh shut up!"

"Now if you'll kindly remove yourself from OUR territory, or I'll have you tossed out!"

Chin was about to protest, but then he saw all the weapons the wolves had, and decided just to go along with whatever they said.

"Very well then…er just one last thing, how'd you manage the floating lights?"

"What lights?" asked the wolf "I tire of this banter, get out!"

Chin and his gang were thrown out of the town. Chin hit the beach with a loud thump, sand and small rocks flew up in the air where he landed. Chin slowly picked himself up and brushed off the debris.

"What do we do now boss?" asked Da-Ming

"Don't worry Da-Ming, I've got another plan, and I can assure you, this will be fun" said Chin with a wicked little grin.


	15. Chapter 15

Chin and the gang walked down the coast a couple of miles until they came to Bai-Ling's old house.

"Good to see that this old place is still standing" said Chin as he gave the wall a kick, several of the roof tiles slid off and crashed on the ground.

Chin and the gang entered.

"Alright Bai-Ling, I'm going to need a lot of fake blood."

"Oh I got a good recipe for that!" said Bai-Ling cheerfully.

"Excellent" said Chin, his malicious grin threatened to take off the top of his head.

A little while later the black furred wolves were enjoying their new hideout and had just about completely forgotten about Chin and his gang. Suddenly there came a knock on the door, and the wolves were surprised to see Da-Ming and the rest of Chin's gang. The only one missing was Chin himself.

"We were wondering…er…_could we join your gang_?" said Da-Ming nervously

"What?" asked the wolf.

"Chin…our boss…he kinda, you know, _died_"

"What are you talking about?"

"Chin, he slipped and tumbled down a cliff into the ocean!"

"Well, er that's unfortunate"

"Could we join your gang?"

"No, go away"

"Please? We'll do your dishes and clean up and everything!"

"Get lost you-do the dishes? Get in here!"

It was now one in the morning, the wolves sat around a table, their bellies fat with food. Da-Ming and Bai-Ling were doing the dishes, while the rest waited. Someone knocked on the door.

"Who can it be now!" grumbled a wolf "You Bat!" he said pointing towards Bai-Ling "Go get the door!"

Bai-Ling left the room and opened the door as loudly as she could to make sure the wolves knew it was open. Then suddenly, she let out a earsplitting scream. The wolves practically jumped out of their seats. The table was flipped over. They raced towards the door and found it open, Bai-Ling lay motionless on the ground.

Then a bolt of lightning struck illuminating the dark doorway. There, standing in the door frame was a shadow. The figure looked like nothing more than a silhouette, a silhouette with ratty old rice hat. One eye gleamed at them.

"Its that rat!" one of the wolves exclaimed "the one what fell off them cliffs!"

Chin hopped forwards into the room, his arms outstretched. In the well light hallway the wolves could see trickles of blood going down his mouth.

"He's come back as a vampire!" another wolf exclaimed.

Chin took another hop forward, his arms reaching outward and grabbing at the wolves with tiny sharp claws.

"Hold your breath!" one wolf said, while the others behinds him ran off.

"Guys? GUYS! Wait for me!" he shouted as he ran helter skelter through the house and out the back door and into the night.

Bai-Ling got up and laughed. It was hard for her to keep from giggling when she saw the wolves' expressions. Chin also laughed as he wiped the fake blood off his face.

"Vampires! Hah can you believe that nonsense! Only an idiot would be afraid of something that doesn't even exist!" laughed Chin.

"errrr boss?" Da-Ming hazarded.

"What Da-Ming? You need me to explain the joke to you?"

"_Behind you_"

Chin slowly turned around. There behind him was a frightening looking gazelle. His eyes were glowing red, two fangs poked out of his mouth, his arms were outstretched and he was looking right at Chin.

Chin screamed and ran. The rest of the gang followed after him as he ran out the back door and into the wild.

"Hey it worked" said the vampire.

Several lights floated out from the walls and took the form of glowing animals.

"Told you! If you want people out of your town you just have to scare them out" said a transparent pig with a smug smile

"I hope we didn't scare them too bad" said a glowing rabbit. She looked genuinely concerned.

"You kidding? Look at them, biggest group of Ne'er do wells I've ever seen!" said a green, misty goose.

"Well at least we can have some peace and quiet now" said the vampire "We can finally continue that game of Go"


	16. Chapter 16

It was early morning when Chin and his gang, after having ran all night long, found themselves once more in the middle of the wilderness. They pressed forward until they came upon a road. There were many fresh tracks and footsteps leading Chin to believe it was well traveled.

"Alright boys, follow me, and be quiet, if we're lucky we can ambush a traveler or maybe a merchant if we're lucky" said Chin as he slid into some tall reeds that lined the road.

"Got it boss! …Er boss?"

"Yes Da-Ming?"

"Are we gonna talk about what happened back –"  
>"No! now shut up and be quiet with me!"<p>

"Yessir"

Chin and his gang made their way through the reeds and waited, ankle deep in cold, muddy water. After what seemed like an hour Chin heard the sound of footsteps, they were small, but too large to be a pig or goose.

"Bunnies" said Chin with a smile.

Chin liked bunnies, they usually had good things to steal. Chin was about to strike when he heard a gruff voice.

"My my bunnies! What's that you're carrying there?"

"Someone's stealing our victims!" Chin hissed to his gang "Lets get them!"

Chin and his gang burst from the reeds ready to attack when Chin noticed how big and scary the other bandit was. He was a leopard with a huge Ji (a type of Chinese halberd) with three sickle blades running down the front of it. Three leopards stood behind him, all armed to the teeth.

"Er…" was all Chin could say, he felt much smaller then he usually did.

"What do you want?" asked the leopard nonchalantly "Finders keepers rat, better luck next time"

"Do you even know who you're talking to" shouted Da-Ming "This is Chin the most feared bandit in all of China, he'll skin you alive an-"

"Shut up! I'll just be trying my luck elsewhere then shall I?" said Chin with a nervous grin.

"Well go on then, don't just stand there gawking at us" grumbled the leopard as he began taking the belongings from the rabbits.

"Oh you're dead now! Chin will cut your tail off and flog you with it!"

"Shut up!"

"Oh really know" said the leopard who began eyeing Chin.

"Don't pay any attention to him!" Chin cried defensively "He's not right in the head! If anyone you should beat him!"

"Beat? You want me to beat you?"

"NO! nonononono!"

"What's that? Yes? Beat you up? Well alright if you say so!" said the Leopard as he grabbed Chin by the tail.

The leopard was quick; he caught Chin before he even had a chance to blink and was now suspending him upside down by the tail.

"Are you sure you want me to do this?" said the leopard with a smile.

"Please put me down"

"Alright if you say so" said the leopard as he let go of Chin's tail.

Chin fell head first onto the ground, and then the leopard picked Chin up again only to drop him once more. Then again, over and over the leopard dropped Chin onto his head.

After a while of doing this the leopard got bored, took the rabbit's belongings and with his gang walked down the road, leaving a rather bruised and sore Chin on the road.

"Wow boss that was a close one" said Da-Ming "He coulda killed you"

"Da-Ming!"

"Er boss?"

"I'm going to kill you!" hissed Chin as he ran after Da-Ming. The two ran around for hours before Chin grew tired and collapsed on the ground.


	17. Chapter 17

"Alright guys, that's the leopards' hideout, you know the plan, I'm getting myself some compensation!" said Chin

"Really boss? You know how tough that guy is" said Da-Ming

"Oh did I say I'm? I meant you Da-Ming, you're getting me some compensation!"

"Why me boss!"

"Because of you that muscle-bound, brainless hulk of a leopard beat the daylights out of me, now go in there and go get 'em!" said Chin pushing Da-Ming towards the heavy door of the leopard hideout.

"B-But boss!"

"No buts! Go on make me proud!"

Da-Ming stood before the door frozen solid, while Chin stole away into the surrounding forest and approached the hideout from behind. Finally summing up his courage Da-Ming knocked on the door. A burly leopard opened it.

"Whad'you want?"

"I er… well…Imma"

"Spit it out you little buck-toothed shrimp"  
>"I'm here for compensation"<p>

"What?"

"Y-you heard me! P-put up your dukes!" said Da-Ming balling his little pink hands into fists.

"Really?"

"Yeah re-" Da-Ming was unable to finish his sentence because the leopard's fist suddenly occupied the same area as his face.

Meanwhile Chin had just slipped into the hideout through a small window in the back. He was in a tiny room full of pots and pans and food, probably a storeroom. There was a old door in front of him. Chin looked through one of the many worm eaten holes in the door. Beyond the door was a large room full of loot, the room connected to another room full of leopards.

As carefully as he could manage Chin crept through the door and into the room full of loot. The first thing to catch his eye was a beautiful gold and ruby encrusted red box. The second was the huge shelf full of exquisitely decorated pots which hung over a huge pile of equally beautiful and expensive pots stacked carefully. This leopard was a collector.

Chin went to the box first, it was too big for him, it would be easy for a leopard to pick up but Chin wouldn't be able to escape with it. Inside the box however was a very beautiful and very rare flower. If Chin hadn't stolen a scroll of rare flora he wouldn't have recognized it as the rare Southern Rain Orchid, a flower that was worth two gold and ruby encrusted boxes. Chin smiled as he carefully slipped the delicate flower under his hat. Da-Ming was doing a great job distracting the leopards.

Chin checked over his shoulder once to make sure the leopards were still occupied before checking out the rest of the loot. Unlike the expensive pots which were well polished the rest of the loot looked mundane and dusty, there didn't seem to be anything that spectacular amidst the cluttered hoard. Chin was just about to leave when he felt a heavy paw grab him by the shoulder.

It was the same leopard from before with the Ji with the three sickles.

"Well well, if it isn't er…whats your name again? Xin? Jin?"

"I-its er… Chin sir"

"Well well, looks like Chin's come back for more"

"Er actually I was just leavin-"

"You weren't trying to steal anything were you?" the leopard looked around, everything seemed to be in it's place.

"S-steal! Oh no sir I would even dream of s-stealing from you"

"Really? Then what are you doing here then?"

"I uhhhh-"

"I recognized your men outside and I noticed that you weren't there"

"Well I-"

"So I figured 'maybe this guy's trying something sneaky' and lo and behold you are!"

"I uh…"

"Shoulda quit while you were ahead rat" said the leopard cracking his knuckles.

"Well you see-" began Chin who then suddenly darted towards the pile of pots.

Chin plucked one of the pots randomly and lifted it up.

"Back or I'll smash it!" shouted Chin, his eye wide with fear.

The leopard was silent, his face full of worry as he stared at the pot in Chin's paws. Then the leopard looked behind Chin and his mouth became a silent O of surprise.

"Er…" Chin said he turned around

The pile of pots swayed dangerously. The pile was huge it was even taller than the leopard and much taller than Chin. Without thinking Chin had snatched a pot from the bottom, making the whole pile unstable. The pots loomed over Chin and the leopard. Chin managed to jump out the way just in time as the pots came crashing down on top of the leopard.

Chin leapt over the colorful clay shards and ran straight for the door. Just in time as the leopard sprung up, his face a mask of complete anger, he held in his paw the shattered remnants of his favorite pot.

Within seconds the leopard was on Chins' heels as he and his gang ran through the dark countryside with only a crescent moon for illumination.

"THIS POT WAS FROM THE HAN DYNASTY YOU MANGY COWARD!" roared the leopard throwing a pawful of sharp clay shrapnel at Chin.

Chin ran, he ran faster than he'd ever run before. The leopard swung his Ji at him, it missed Chin but cut through branches and small trees, severing them. Chin knew that if he didn't think of something quick he would be dead, dead and bloody. And as Chin ran through the trees he noticed that they were on a cliff over looking the ocean, the waters were dead calm and the cliff wasn't too high, but it was steep and that would work.

Suddenly turning around Chin ran for the cliffs with the leopard right behind him. Chin leapt to the side right when the leopard made his charge. Blinded by his fury the leopard ran right off the cliff and straight into the water with a great splash. Chin had just made it out alive.

"I' GET YOU CHIN! YOU BUCK TOOTHED SCAVENGER, I'LL SKIN YOU ALIVE!" roared the leopard from the water shaking a fist at Chin. Chin gave him the one fingered solute before continuing on his way.


	18. Chapter 18

Chin and his gang were at least two miles from the leopard's hideout. They had managed to evade the rest of his gang after their leader fell off a cliff and were finally taking a break. Chin took the time to examine the southern rain orchid. He took the delicate flower out from underneath his hat. It was beautiful, the petals near the center were almost translucent, and thinner than paper. This single flower could be sold for a very high price, enough for Chin to buy himself a hideout.

"That's a very pretty flower you have there sir" said Da-Ming looking at the orchid

"Pretty and expensive, do you know how much I can sell this for?"

"Er…"

"Da-Ming I could literally buy you with this"

"Oh"

"Where'd you get it?" asked Bai-Ling

"Stole it from those spotted blaggards, there's a moral from all this"

"Really?"

"Yeah, don't mess with Chin, those leopards are going to be pissed, or extra pissed, once they realize I've stolen this" said Chin as he slipped the orchid back under his hat. "Come one, lets go, there's a trail up ahead, we'll see where that leads."

Meanwhile in the pirate stronghold on Waihai island.

The leopard boss from before, as well as his gang, were making their way up from the docks and into a large dark building. The door was huge and heavy and studded with iron spikes. A boar greeted him at the door.

"Ah Lu Bao your sister is expecting you"

The door slowly opened for the leopard boss Lu Bao, when he entered his Ji was confiscated as well as his other weapons and the weapons of his gang. Lu Bao slowly made his way up to a throne made from stolen gold. The throne wasn't well made, looking more like a shiny metallic tree stump with arm rests, but it was solid gold. Seated upon the throne was a leopard. She was stunningly attractive but wore too much make up, and since Waihai was a humid island her makeup had a tendency to drip down her face.

Her eyes were surrounded by dark bluish circles and her face was so powered it looked like a sudden snow storm had occurred on her head. She was dressed in only the finest of stolen garments and had so much jewelry she clanked and jingled wherever she went.

Lu Bao bowed before her

"Sister I have brought you the flower" said Lu Bao lifting up the gold and ruby encrusted box. "It took ages to find but we finally got it"

"I trust it wasn't too hard brother"

"Not really, we just had to slice a few throats that's all"

"Ah good, now give it here"

Lu Bao handed the gold box to a boar who gave it to the leopard on the throne. She opened the box.

"Dearest brother?"

"Yes sister?"

"Why is there no flower in the box?"

"What!"

"This box-" said the leopard throwing the box across the room "-Is empty!"

"How can…That rat!"

"What!'

"There was a rat who broke into my hideout he must've taken the flower!"

"Brother! I need that flower!"

"But sist-"

"The Southern Rain orchid is the only flower that can get rid of these hideous wrinkles!" screamed the leopard, who was only in her mid twenties and had no wrinkles "Find that rat and get the flower back!"

"Yes my sister"

"Now!"

"But we just got here"

"I don't care! Go now!"

Lu Bao and his gang hurried out of the building.

"Wow" said one of the leopards "Liu-Pan is getting crazier each day"

"Shut up you!" growled Lu Bao "Chin is going to pay for this"

As Lu Bao and his gang boarded their ship they were met with a boar.

"Your sister has ordered me to come along to see that all goes well"

"Very well" said Lu Bao "But when we find Chin he's mine got it?"

Meanwhile in a dark forest, a group of komodo dragons were gathered. There were some black wolves tied up.

"Sir" said a komodo dragon "these wolves say they came into contact with Chin and his gang, they are located up the coast, apparently Chin has become a …_hopping vampire _sir"

"A hopping vampire? Not likely" said Zui Zhi-Ming the leader of the komodo dragons.

"Its true!" one of the black wolves shouted "We were following this rat and his gang until they came to this town, and this bat said that the town was haunted and they were all scared an-"

"Oh for goodness sake breathe!"

"Sorry, well the bat, she says that the town is haunted, so we start trying to scare them out, then they run off, then his gang returned and said that he died, then he shows up, his mouth dripping blood and oh it was awful!"

"This town, its just up the coast is it?"

"Yes sir, I would go there for all the riches in the world!"

"Sigh, let them go. Kai-Mu?"

A large komodo dragon stepped forward, he was dressed in armor from head to toe and wielded a nine sectioned whip.

"Kai-Mu find that town, find Chin, and kill him, bring his body back here later so that I may eat it, is that understood?"

Kai-Mu nodded

"Yes sir!"

Meanwhile on top of a snowy mountain and yak smith was busy hammering away at something. The blows from his hammer echoed across the mountains, then they stopped. Yang the leader of the yaks stepped forward.

"Is it ready?"

"Yes sir" said the yak smith handing Yang a horn made from metal, the tip was sharp and the sides had spikes jutting out from them. Yang placed the metal horn over his broken one.

"I'm going to crush that rat"


	19. Chapter 19

"So…boss" said Bai-Ling "I was wondering, since we are taking a break, could we, you know, _do each other's nails_?"

"What?"

"You know, since we're friends"

"She-friends do each other's nails, He-friends don't"

"Oh"

"Look would you stop calling me your friend!"

"But boss"

"But nothing! It's bloody annoying! "

"Oh…"

"Do you think the most feared bandit of all China has _friends_? He has minions not friends!"

"Oh… I'm sorry sir"

"And don't bloody apologize, I'm trying to eat I don't want to be bothered right now"

"Okay…sir"

Meanwhile back at the haunted town. Kai-Mu was sniffing about, Chin had been here, but he wasn't here anymore. The town was deserted and spooky, but Kai-Mu was not afraid. Soon he picked up on Chin's tracks and followed them.

"Don't worry guys, he's gone" said the ghost of a rabbit who had been watching Kai-Mu from a window.

"Good, I thought I was going have to scare someone else" said the hopping vampire as he placed a smooth black stone on a Go board "It's your move Chun"

Meanwhile, Chin and his gang were making their way along the path, it was early morning and Chin and his gang was tired. Slowly they made their way up a mountain slope. Once they reached the top they saw it. A town, a lovely town. Rivers flowed from the mountains. And the best part, atleast to Chin, was it wasn't taken yet. Chin could tell if territory was taken, first of all the citizens would look scared, and these citizens looked very happy.

Chin never expected why the town wasn't taken, it didn't seem to have any guards, or atleast very few guards. What Chin didn't know, this town had a particular type of guardian, one Chin and his gang have had many _encounters_ with before.

"This place looks promising" said Chin with a smile.

Sneaking into the town through the rivers, Chin and his gang slowly crept and crawled through the alleyways before hiding behind some crates. Chin made sure his gang was hidden away before leaving the hiding place. He stopped a local, a jolly looking pig with a blue hat.

"You! who runs this place?"

"What?"

"Who runs this place? Where are all the guards?"

"Sir?"

"Who's in charge!"

"Well I guess that would be Master Shifu, over in the Jade palace over there" said the pig pointing to an elegant palace ontop of a mountain slope.

"Master Shifu huh?"

"Yeah him and the Furious Five keep this place safe"

"Ah the Furious Five…THE FURIOUS FIVE!"

"Er… yes?"

Chin ran back into the alleyway.

"Alright guys we've got to get out of here!"

"Why sir?"

"We are in the dragon's den; this is the Valley of Peace!"

"Uh oh"

"Whats so wrong with the Valley of Peace" Bai-Ling asked "It sounds, you know, peaceful"

"The Valley of Peace is where the Furious Five live!"

"Oh! Wow really?"

"Aw hell its going to be Ti-Piu mountain all over again!"

"Wait you've met the Furious Five before!"

"Chin might hold the record for getting beaten up by them the most" said Da-Ming as if it were something to be proud of "They even know his name know"

"!"

"Don't worry Chin-er I mean Boss, we'll get you out of here"

Chin was about to say something when a sudden commotion caught his attention. A group of boar bandits were robbing the market place. They obviously didn't know where they were. Chin, of course, did not know what the internet was, let alone know what a noob was, but if he did that's what he would call these boars, noobs.

"Lets get out of here before they show up! Especially _her!_" hissed Chin, but try as he might neither him nor his gang could take their eyes off the scene.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere. The Furious Five came. This was probably the first time Chin had witnessed the Furious Five beat someone up that wasn't him; he cringed though, he had felt some of those kicks before. Monkey came from above swinging his staff around his head knocking five bandits out with one spin. Viper made sudden, graceful movements, catching the bandits off guard and tripping them up. Mantis dart back and forth, it was almost impossible to see him as went from bandit to bandit, sending them flying with his tiny pincers.

Crane and Po were there, of course, and both were impressive. But the one that stood out the most, and made Chin cringe with fear, was Tigress. To say that Chin was terrified of Tigress would be an understatement. Many a night Tigress would appear in Chin's nightmares, each time resulting in him wetting the bed in pure fright. To others Tigress could be considered a fierce guardian; but to the rat bandit Tigress of was viscous, stripped, relentless, Chin-murdering machine.

Bai-Ling noticed how Chin stared at Tigress, wide eyed and trembling. A sudden kick to a bandit's head made Chin squeak with fright.

The battle was short, only a few minutes, but to Chin it was much longer; as soon as the Furious Five left Chin and his gang crept as fast as they could out of the town.

Meanwhile back at the Leopard Lu Bao's hideout. Lu Bao and his henchmen, as well as one of his sister's boars were searching for Chin. They traveled to where Lu Bao had fallen off the cliff and were now following the tracks of Chin and his gang. Not suspecting that the Komodo Dragon Kai-Mu was following Chin's tracks as well. Although the tracks Kai-Mu was following was leading him behind Lu-Bao. Kai-Mu was not, however, too far behind.

And while all this was happening, the yak leader Yang, who had journeyed down the mountain, had just caught the same black wolves Zui Zhi-Ming had released not too long ago. After interrogating them Yang to learned of the haunted town. Yang dragged one of the wolves with him to help him follow Chin's tracks.

Meanwhile back at the Valley of Peace, Chin and his gang slowly made there way out of the valley. They had already managed to sneak out of town and now they had to make it out of the valley itself. Chin wanted to get as far away from the Valley as he could, but he also didn't want to get caught so he moved slowly. It never occurred to Chin that anyone was actually looking for him, but he was paranoid nonetheless.

Then Chin suddenly froze, not too far away from them were the Furious Five (and Po of course but the Furious Six wasn't as catchy) at first Chin though that they were going to come after him, but then he realized they weren't even looking at him, they were in fact making their way out of the valley.

"They must be going on some sort of mission outside the valley" Chin thought to himself "That means they won't be in the Valley for a while"

Chin smiled, maybe he might be able to leave with a few stolen goods.


	20. Chapter 20

Yang slowly made his way to Lu Bao's unoccupied hideout. The wolf had managed to slip away from him, but luckily he Yang managed to find his way here. The door was open. Yang readied his meteor hammer. The melon sized metal weight at the end hung in Yang's massive hooves. Yang entered the hideout expecting to find Chin.

Chin wasn't inside, but Yang could hear a noise coming from the next room. On the other side of the hideout Kai-Mu was busy looking for Chin as well, he searched through all the creates and behind all the piles but couldn't find him. Kai-Mu had given up being quiet a while ago and was now through crates around in search for Chin.

Yang was ready, not knowing what was in the next room he readied his meteor hammer. As soon as Kai-Mu entered the room Yang swung his meteor hammer. Kai-Mu hadn't much time to react, he quickly ducked underneath the massive weight as it went right over his head and crashed into the wall, leaving a large hole.

Seeing an opportunity Kai-Mu drew a dagger and leapt at Yang, who was unable to swing his own weapon since it was lodged in the wall. Reacting more on instinct than thought Yang lowered his massive horned head. Kai-Mu, who had leapt full force at Yang, crashed right into Yang's boney crown, which knocked the wind right out of the lizard.

Yang grabbed Kai-Mu's clawed hand with one hoof and grabbed his throat with the other and pushed him against the wall. Kai-Mu had dropped his dagger when he crashed into Yang's horns and was now defenseless.

"Where is he?" yang snorted

"*gak*Wh-Who!"

"The rat! Where is he?"

"W-wait th-the rat? *cough*The r-rat with one eye?"

"Yes"

"Were *gak* on th-the *cough* same side*gak*"

"Explain"

"I was sent to *gak* kill the rat *choke* 'is name is Chin *cough* please let go of my *gak* windpipe"

Yang dropped Kai-Mu who fell with a heavy metallic thud onto the floor.

"I'll kill him" snorted Yang cracking his knuckles "I'll crush his little skull"

"Look" said Kai-Mu rubbing his throat "You don't understand If I don't bring back Chin's corpse my boss, he'll eat me!"

"I'LL kill him" said Yang looming over Kai-Mu.

"Okay okay, You kill him, I'll take the body"

"I want his skull"

"Okay, okay I'll just take his headless body!"

"Fine"

"Fine"

Meanwhile Lu Bao and his gang were approaching the path to the Valley of Peace. Chin however was unaware of any of this, he and his gang were busy. Chin managed to pick pocket several villagers and for once Chin and his gang had enough money to purchase their meals. Chin and his gang rested easy that night, enjoying their food; who knew what treasures lay about in the Valley of Peace.

Lu Bao, however, was not resting easy. He to, was in the valley of peace, but unaware that Chin was as well. And while both Chin and Lu Bao were unaware of each other Kai-Mu and Yang (who had been travelling all night) were on top of a mountain peak overlooking the Valley of Peace.

Lu Bao and his gang was sitting in a restaurant directly adjacent to the one Chin ad his gang were in. neither Chin nor Lu Bao noticed each other. Lu Bao scanned the town from where he sat, but when he looked in Chin's direction however a large sheep was walking in his way. Chin too was scanning, not for Lu Bao, for Chin didn't even know Lu Bao was after him, but for the Furious Five, if for some reason they returned early. When Chin looked in Lu Bao's direction a noodle cart blocked his line of sight.

Both Chin and Lu Bao were but mere feet away from each other.

"When I find Chin I'm going to tear him in half and make his tail into a belt!" hissed Lu Bao to his henchmen.

The area between the two restaurants was so noisy Chin wouldn't be able to hear Lu Bao if he'd actually been listening.

"Remember men" said Chin to his gang "First sign the Furious Five is back and we're outta here faster than a mouse at a cat convention"

"Got it boss" said Da-Ming

"Let's see if we can manage to steal something good before leaving, you there" said Chin pointing to a goose who was walking by "Tell me, are there any valuabl-er… important artifacts or national treasures in this town, anything of gold specifically"

The goose looked confused.

"Well there's all those artifacts in the hall of warriors in the Jade Palace" said the goose.

"Tell me, are they heavily guarded?"

"Well no, Master Shifu takes good care of them"

"Really now"

"Yes, of course Shifu has been gone a long time now, so the royal messenger Zheng has been taking care of things up there"

"Excellent" said Chin with a smile.

Meanwhile Kai-Mu and Yang were walking through the Valley of Peace looking for Chin, they had just entered the town. Kai-Mu stuck out his long forked tongue to smell the air. Chin had been here but it was hard to tell where, there were many smells in the air. Kai-Mu and Yang pressed on further into the village just as Lu Bao was exiting the restaurant. And while this was happening Chin and his gang were making their way up the stairs that lead to the Jade palace.

Lu Bao grabbed one of the villagers, a short bunny.

"Hey you, have you seen a one eyed rat around here?"

"Well I don't really know, I've seen a couple rats heading up towards the Jade Palace just now"

The rabbit pointed up at the Palace, Lu Bao and his gang made their way through the thick crowd. Meanwhile Kai-Mu had found Chin's scent and was hastily making his way towards his quarry with Yang right behind him.

Chin and his gang finally reached the top of the stairs, many of Chin's rats were tired, Bai-Ling, on the other hand, was not as she flew to the top of the stairs. Carefully Chin crept into the Hall of Heroes. He almost couldn't believe that he was in the Jade Palace, where the Furious Five lived, he tried not to think about what would happen if Tigress caught him here.

Chin and his gang tiptoed past a sleeping Zheng, who was leaning against the wall. It looked as if he were on guard duty. The gang was awestruck at the sight of all the treasures that surrounded them: Weapons, fancy pots, important looking paintings and exquisite armor. Chin began scanning the Hall for what he was going to steal.

Meanwhile Lu Bao and his gang were at the Jade Palace.

"You three go in through the front, me and the boar will go in through the back, that way we'll surround him" said Lu Bao.

Three Leopards formed at the front of the Jade Palace, While Lu Bao and the boar snuck around back. And while Lu Bao and his gang were taking up their positions, Kai-Mu and Yang came up the stairs. As soon as they saw the leopards they attacked.

Yang came suddenly and with his horns lifted two of the leopards up into the air. Before the third leopard could even draw his weapon Kai-Mu lashed out with his nine sectioned whip. The metal whip bludgeoned the third leopard's head giving him a black eye. The two other leopards were thrown into the door. They crashed into the Hall of Heroes surprising Chin and awakening Zheng. Lu Bao who was on the other side of the Jade Palace heard the sound.

"Come on they're attacking already!"

Lu Bao and the boar burst into the Hall of Heroes on the other side. The first thing he saw was Chin, the second thing he saw was Yang charging directly at him. Lu Bao flew across the hall. While that was going on Kai-Mu was beating the third leopard mercilessly with his nine sectioned whip. Then, when Kai-Mu swung his whip again, the leopard caught the metal tip with his paw and swung Kai-Mu overhead and onto the hard stone floor. Then Kai-Mu, who was still holding the whip, twisted and yanked the it so hard that the leopard, who was also holding onto the whip, crashed right into Kai-Mu's steel chest plate.

One of the leopard's fangs lay on the ground.

Meanwhile on the outskirts of the Valley of Peace, the Furious Five and Shifu were making their way back to the Jade Palace.

"While I appreciate your concerns" said Shifu "You shouldn't have left the Jade Palace unguarded"

"Well how were we suppoused to know that you were visiting a friend?" Po asked

"I left you a note on the table"

"That was a note? I thought that was a napkin"

"*sigh* Let's just hurry up and make sure everything is okay"

"Ah come on Shifu, what's the worst that could happen?"

Yang tossed Lu Bao into the wall knocking over several expensive ceramics which shattered on the floor. Zheng was cowering under a table, while Chin and his gang had fled in the confusion and were now making their way down the many stairs that led to the Jade Palace. Lu Bao leapt to his feet and grabbed Yang by the horns before he could ram him gain. Lu Bao strained with all his might but he couldn't push the yak away. Yang, on the other hand, couldn't push Lu Bao either, and both were locked together.

Shifu and the Furious Five were at the bottom of the stairs.

"See" said Po "Every things all right"

A bruised leopard came tumbling down the stairs.

"Where is the rat" Yang snorted

"I'll have you skinned ali- wait the rat?"

"That rat with one eye!"

"Chin! Wait hold on! I think we're on the same side here"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean-"

Lu Bao was suddenly cut off when Kai-Mu came crashing through the door. There silhouetted in the moonlight stood the Furious Five.

"Uh oh" said Yang as Tigress launched a flying kick straight at his head.


	21. Chapter 21

"Oh this is just great" Chin muttered "We are dead we are dead we are so very dead"

"Don't worry Chin" said Da-Ming "I think that Yak took care of them"

"That yak? You mean Yang, the yak who I insulted? The same yak who said he was going to get me? The one with the metal horn covered in spikes?"

"…oh"

"We are so very dead"

"Well maybe they won't find us" said Bai-Ling "Do you think they could've tracked us all the way from the Jade Palace to her-"

"There they are!" shouted Lu Bao

"Ah crap"

Standing before Chin and his gang were Lu Bao, his gang, a boar, Yang, and Kai-Mu.

"Hello Chin" said Lu Bao "I'll tell you what, you hand over the flower and I'll let you go"

"The flower?"

"The Southern Rain Orchid you stole from me"

"Oh"

"_What are you doing!_" Kai-Mu hissed in Lu Bao's ear "_Are you really gonna let him go!"_

"Of course not" Lu Bao whispered back "I just want to get the flower first, I don't want it getting damaged in the fight"

"Sir!" Bai-Ling whispered to Chin "Are you going to give him the flower or not?"

"It's a trick, he'll kill us either way"

"Then what do we do!"

"Let me think let me think! We need to stale him a bit"

"Er… how do we know you'll let us go?" Bai-Ling asked

"Well" said Lu Bao "Seeing as we outnumber and outmatch you, and we'll kill you if you don't, I don't think you should be asking questions"

"Oh…"

"Now are you going to hand over the flower or am I going to have to remove it from your cold dead fingers?"

"Chin have you come up with a plan yet!"

"Yes actually…RUN!"

Chin and his gang darted off.

"Alright" said Lu Bao "Lets do this"

Chin looked back to see Lu Bao, Kai-Mu, Yang and a whole gang of leopards right on his tail. Chin ran as fast as his little legs could carry him. Yang swung his meteor hammer through the air. It wrapped itself around Chin's legs, Yang gave a hard yank and Chin came crashing to the ground. As soon as he was down Yang gave him a hard kick in the stomach.

Chin, as quick as he could (which was hard because he was just kicked in the stomach) got to his legs and tried to run off only to have Kai-Mu's whip come smashing against his face. Lu Bao swung his Ji at Chin, who narrowly avoided it with a side step, and as Chin did so Yang gave him a viscous head butt. Chin stumbled backwards and Lu Bao gave him a viscous kick to the head.

Chin was left on is back, then Yang stepped on his chest keeping him from getting back up again. Lu Bao raised the Ji over Chin. Chin closed his eyes and braced himself for the final strike. Lu Bao was just about to bring the viscous halberd down when.

"HEY!" Bai-Ling screamed as loud as she could which was difficult for her because she'd never screamed before.

When Lu Bao looked up Bai-Ling tossed the rock she'd been carrying at his head. It struck him right between the eyes making him wince and drop the Ji. No sooner had she done this she flew straight at Yang. Distracted by the bat flying in his face the mighty yak lost his balance and tripped over himself. Kai-Mu lashed at Bai-Ling with his whip, but fortunately she flew out of the way in time and the whip struck Yang.

"RUN CHIN RUN!" Bai-Ling screamed.

Chin was on his feet and speeding away with Bai-Ling flying overhead. But no sooner had they escaped the Lu Bao and the others were, once more, on their tail. As Chin ran he met up with the rest of his gang.

"Run you idiots run!"

But it was too late. Lu Bao and his gang were already on them. With one swing of Yang's meteor hammer Da-Ming, Cheng, and Dong were all simultaneously knocked over. Chin drew his Nan Dao, but no sooner was it out it was knocked out of his hands by Kai-Mu's whip. Soon Chin was once more beaten relentlessly. Various punches and kicks kept him on the ground. Kai-Mu stood over Chin, deadly bacteria ridden drool dripping down his mouth.

Chin only had one chance. He reached deep into his sleeve and removed his sleeve arrow. The tube like device was his only hope at the moment. He fired. The dart ricocheted harmlessly off Kai-Mu's armor and flew at Yang. Ricocheting off of Yang's metal horn the dart pinned Lu Bao's shirt to a tree.

Lu Bao ripped himself away from the hard tree bark and turned to face Chin. Chin was gone.


	22. Chapter 22

Chin and his gang were worn and weary. Their feet throbbed after all the running they had done. Just ahead of them, down some very steep slopes, was a small town. A waterfall poured over the gray rocks and formed a river that ran through the middle of town. A small bridge arced over the water fall. Chin sat down. It was now morning.

"Well it looks like we've lost them boss!" said Da-Ming optimistically.

"No wait! Don't say tha-" Started Chin, but it was too late.

Approaching them were Lu Bao and his gang. Kai-Mu had tracked them down.

"You don't ever say that!" Chin hissed at Da-Ming "You just bloody jinxed us!"

"Oops sorry boss"

Lu Bao was quick. He came suddenly with his Ji and swiped at Chin. Chin leapt back just enough to get nothing more but a painful scratch across his chest. The Ji ignored the studded leather plates and cut through Chin's shirt leaving three long scratch marks going down his chest. They bleed a bit but not enough to be scars.

Lu Bao and the others charged at Chin's gang. Chin's gang did what all rats did when panicked, they scattered. Lu Bao ignored the others and kept his eyes on Chin. The one eyed rat took a step back, now realizing he was on the steep edge of a rocky cliff overlooking the small town. Lu Bao charged at him and Chin did the only thing he could think of at the moment. He jumped.

Lu Bao stood there for a while, and much to his surprise a small white bat came flying up holding Chin in her large clawed feet. Bai-Ling flew off carrying Chin straight into the town. Bai-Ling gently dropped Chin in an alley way.

"Are you okay sir?"

"I'm fine Bai-Ling"

"Sir! You're bleeding!"

"It's just a few scratches never mind that. Go find the others and bring them here, I've got to do some planning"

Reluctantly Bai-Ling flew off leaving Chin to plan out their next course of action. It was at sunset when Bai-Ling returned with the rest of the gang.

"Sir" said Bai-Ling "That leopard and his gang are in town looking for us!"

"Where?"

"They were searching the river last time I checked"

"Good, I have a plan" Said Chin "Its desperate but it'll mean that we'll all be safe"

It was now night when Chin and his gang made it all the way up the mountain to the bridge that arced over the waterfall. Chin stood on the bridge and removed his hat. He stared out into the roaring water as it washed over the mountainside into the town.

"When I first stepped onto land" Chin started "I had great expectations for myself. I was going to become a viscous and powerful bandit, feared by all, I made many plans, but all plans, no matter how well they start off, begin to fade and wither until you're just stuck in a bloody rut

I learned this well, my first day on land I lost my eye, but I kept a stiff upper lip, I didn't give up. No matter what happened I still gave it my best, I worked hard and no matter how hard I failed I kept going. It's been twelve years now, and I'm beginning to feel tired."

"Oh Chin! Don't say that" said Bai-Ling

"Don't interrupt me Bai-Ling I'm giving a speech"

"Sorry sir"

"You, my loyal troops, Bai-Ling, Da-Ming, Cheng, Dong and all the others. While you haven't been the best gang you were still my gang, and in my opinion that makes you the best bloody gang a rat could have. It is now that I must let you all go. That leopard, to hell with him, and his whole gang of blaggards are more viscous than any opponent we've ever faced before"

"Except the Furious Five"

"Except the Furious Five, but my friends, we are being hunted relentlessly, mostly because of me. I'm sorry to say this, but they want Chin dead, so we're gonna give them just that"

"No sir wait!" Bai-Ling interrupted "Don't jump!"

"I'm not going to jump you bloody bat!" said Chin as he chucked his hat off the bridge into the water "I'm just making them think I'm dead!"

"…oh"

"Now go on all of you, I'm starting over with my life and I want you lot to do what you wish with yourselves. I' sorry it must end this way, but I don't think we have much of a choice. I'm tired, the fires dead and I'm done. Its time for me to start over."

"But Chin-"

"Chin is dead" the rat bandit said solemnly as he stared at the roaring waters below "Chin is dead"


	23. Chapter 23

It was a month after Chin's supposed death. Lu Bao and his gang had found Chin's battered old hat floating in the river and figured that he was dead. Since Lu Bao didn't have the flower and Kai-Mu didn't have Chin's body to present to Zhi-Ming both of them stayed in town with Yang and formed a viscous and ruthless gang, the toughest gang in town.

Chin's gang members had joined up with another bandit and Bai-Ling had disappeared.

Chin himself had started over. Chin was now Jin and worked at a restaurant. The restaurant owner, a pig by the name of Mr. Qui was Chin's boss and had given him a better eye patch to wear, one that wasn't just a strip of cloth. Chin had also replaced his hat. He now wore a new, well made rice hat as opposed to his old battered one. His patchwork leather armor had been replaced with a nice clean shirt and all his weapons had been put away in an old trunk near Chin's bed.

Chin, or rather Jin was delivering food to a table with a single rabbit.

"Here's your food" Chin mumbled

"Uhh aren't you s'pposed to smile or something? You're s'pposed to serve me with a smile! I'm payin' extra for good service"

"Well I'm not _S'possed_ to jab a chopstick in your eye but I'll do that for you for free"  
>"Jin" called Mr. Qui "Why don't you come over here for a bit, we need to talk"<p>

Chin dropped the food onto the table disdainfully and walked over to Mr. Qui.

"Jin, I can't have you scaring off customers like that you're on janitor duty"

"Bugger"

"I'm sorry Jin, it's just that I need to run a business here that's all"

It was later that night after Chin had wiped down all the tables. The one eyed rat was now wandering about the streets. He wasn't worried that Lu Bao might find him, Lu Bao and his gang had long forgotten about Chin now and spent most of their time enjoying themselves in bars and slums. Chin was grumbling to himself, he didn't like this.

This wasn't what he thought starting over would be like. No one was afraid of him, granted no one was afraid of him when he was a bandit, but at least they were supposed to be afraid of him. no one's scared of a janitor. Chin kicked at a bit of garbage pretending it was someone's head. At least when he was a bandit he had been someone, someone nobody knew about or really cared about, but someone. Now Chin was just Jin, a one eyed janitor.

As Chin was crossing a bridge that lead over the river something caught his eye; if the moon hadn't been full that night or if a cloud had just floated by Chin wouldn't have even noticed it. It was his hat, his old battered hat.

Without thinking Chin climbed down from the bridge into the river, it was just shallow enough for him to wade through. There was his hat, it had been grounded on a muddy bank. It was as if it had been waiting for him. Chin felt the hat with his little pink fingers. So many memories, he had worn this hat since he was a child, everything Chin had experience he had experience with this hat.

Chin looked back on all his misadventures. The funny thing was, they had seemed so horrible when he had experienced them, but looking back on them, they seemed pleasant, thrilling, and even fun. For a while Chin stood in the water and smile forming on his lips. Then Chin scowled. How dare they! How dare they take away all those memories from him? How dare they prevent him from having the same old fun he used to have? How dare they stop Chin from being Chin.

Chin was angry now. He threw his new hat into the river and picked up his old hat and placed it upon his head with as much dignity as a king would a crown.

"Chin is back"


	24. Chapter 24

Chin burst into his room and pulled out the trunk with his belongings inside. He ripped off his new eye patch and wrapped the old rag around his head like he used to. He took of his new shirt and pants and put on his makeshift leather armor. He took his weapons, his rice flail and his sleeve arrow as well as some knives and daggers that he usually carried with him. He sharpened the tip of a chopstick to replace the dart for his sleeve arrow.

Finally Chin looked in a mirror. Chin was back, so was most defiantly back. With one of his claws Chin scratched his cheek deep enough to draw blood, making it look like he had a viscous scar, it made him look more intimidating. Chin ran out into the street.

The fire was back and was burning higher than ever. Chin's first order of business was to get his old gang back together. Luckily for Chin, he had noticed Da-Ming about a week ago entering one of the buildings nearby with a boar. Chin reckoned that his gang was still in town.

Chin wasted no time as he headed for the building. There was a door, but it was locked. Around back hwoever in an alley there was a solid metal door next to a stack of crates and barrels. Chin knocked on the door. A large boar armed with a Kan Dao sword opened the door and looked down at him.

"What?"

"Good evening good sir. I was wondering if you happened to have any rats in your service.

"Rats? Yeah I got 'em workin' fer me, what's it to y'?"

"I'd like to have those rats if you don't mind"

"M'rats! I don't think so pal, now get outta here shorty!"

"Let me put it this way, give me those rats and I'll leave, withhold and I'll make pork buns out of you, you great tusked lummox"

The boar was unnerved. Chin didn't shout it or growl it or say it contemptuously. He said it in the same way he'd say 'Wonderful weather isn't it?' or 'Hello good to see you'. Usually if someone tht small said something like that the boar would smash them, but there was something wrong with this rat. He had a mad gleam in his eyes and was grinning evilly. The boar slammed the door. Chin knocked again.

"Look y'can't have 'em there mine!" shouted the boar as he swung the door open.

The boar looked around there was no one there. Suddenly the stack of crates came crashing down on top of the boar.

"Oof!" said the boar as he rubbed his head. There was a large bump.

Then Chin came and gave the boar a mighty kick to the groin. The boar keeled over. Chin took his Kan Dao and stepped over him entering the building.

"Sir!" said Da-Ming surprised and awe-struck.

"Da-Ming, Cheng, Dong, the rest of you come with me, the gang's back!"

The rats cheered.

"Sir what about Bai-Ling, she isn't working with us"

"Don't worry about that Da-Ming, I've heard of a haunted house nearby"

Later.

"Bai-Ling!"

"Chin?"

"Come one, the gang is getting back together!"

"What if I don't want to join the gang?"

"What?"

"Well what if I'm doing fine where I am?"

"Bai-Ling? I thought you enjoyed being in the gang"

"Well I did, but then, you know, you sorta gave up"

"Look just come down here, I'm done er… _giving up_"

"No"

"Bai-Ling!"

"I'm not moving"

"*Sigh* would you do it for a …_friend_?"

"I thought you wanted minions not friends"

"Look I'm sorry alright I mean it, we'll be _friends_"

"Hmpf!"

"Hmpf? The Bai-Ling I knew never went Hmpf!"

"Well I'm not the Bai-Ling you knew, and I'm staying here and there is nothing you can do about it"

"Bai-Ling you get your membraned behind down here before I climb up there and turn your wings into a hat!"

Bai-Ling flew down from the ceiling and embraced Chin.

"Oh Chin you're back!"

"Bai-Ling!"

"Oh! Sorry sir" said Bai-Ling as she let go of Chin.

"Its time we pay our leopard friend a visit"

It was later in the town square; Lu Bao and his gang were laughing and having a good time at a small restaurant which they used as a base.

"Hahaha you shoulda seen the look on that rabbit's face, he looked like he was about to wet himself!" said Lu Bao amidst his fit of giggles.

"Haha then what?"

"Then I tossed the little idiot off the bridge and into the river Hahahaha!"

This made the entire gang laugh louder than before. Chin couldn't stand the sound of their laughter, it filled him with hatred. Chin turned to Bai-Ling.

"Bai-Ling" he said "There is a good possibility I may not survive this"

"Sir?"

"I want you to know something very important"

"Yes sir?"

"It involves you"

"_Oh sir"_

"If I die I you're in charge"

"…oh"

"Understood?"

"…_yes sir_"

"Good, now the rest of you, remember the plan, I go in alone, if I need your help I'll call for you is that clear"

Chin's gang gave a chorus of yes sirs as Chin turned around to face the restaurant. Lu Bao and his gang were still laughing, but their laughter was cut off when they saw Chin in the door way.

"Chin!"

"I thought you were dead!"

"Death came for me" said Chin smiling evilly "But I kicked him half way across the world"

"It looks like we have some unfinished business to take care of boys" said Lu Bao standing up.

"What a coincidence"

Kai-Mu shot up from his seat and lashed out at Chin with his nine sectioned whip. Chin was ready however, he side stepped just out of the way. The spiked metal weight of the whip was just an inch away from his head. In an instant Chin fired his sleeve arrow pinning the Nine section whip to the wall.

Yang got up knocking over the table and swung his meteor hammer at Chin. Chin ducked and rolled under the huge metal weight. Chin then gave Yang a viscous kick to the shin. Lu Bao then swung his Ji at Chin. This time Chin whipped out his stolen Kan Dao and blocked the viscous sickle blades. And with sudden force the pushed the Ji back and struck at Lu Bao with the Kan dao.

Lu Bao of course block the attacks, but they were sudden and ferocious. The crazy one eyed rat seemed to have limitless energy. By now most of the customers had fled the restaurant in terror. Kai-Mu leapt at Chin, his mouth dripping with deadly saliva. Having given up trying to pry his whip from the wall Kai-Mu was going with his natural weapon. A mouth full of lethal bacteria.

Chin dodged and Kai-Mu landed face first on the floor. Yang swung his meteor hammer again. Chin jumped out of the way. And as Kai-Mu got up Chin jumped right in front of him. Yang swung once more with the hammer. Chin ducked suddenly, Kai-Mu was directly behind him.

WHAM! The metal weight crashed into the Komodo's drooling mouth. Teeth scattered across the floor as Kai-Mu gripped his broken mouth in pain. Lu Bao swung at him again with his Ji. Chin side stepped, the Ji struck the floor. Chin chopped the tip of the Ji off with his Kan dao. Yang swung again. This time when Chin ducked there was no one behind him so the meteor hammer wrapped around a decorative statue that, although small, was sturdy. Chin swung his Kan Dao severing the Meteor hammers rope.

Lu Bao came up from behind. Chin swung around with his blade chopping the second sickle blade clean off. Yang came rushing at Chin with his horns. The mighty yak crashed into Chin knocking his breath out. The one eyed rat just managed to cling to the vicious ungulate's horns. Chin quickly pulling himself back together grabbed Yang's metal horn and pried it off.

The rat jumped down from Yang's head and beat at his with the horn, using it as if it were a club. Lu Bao swung again, Chin jumped over the final sickle blade and without looking behind him hit Lu Bao in the head with the makeshift club. Yang grabbed Chin by the tail, held him upside down and grinned wickedly at Chin. Chin smacked him across the face with the horn and Yang dropped him. Chin ran out into the street, Yang, Lu Bao and Kai-Mu followed.

Once more Lu Bao swiped at Chin with his Ji. Chin sliced off the last sickle blade. Now the Ji was a pole. Yang punched Chin and sent him flying into a wall.

"OoOoh …Now!" Chin called.

Bai-Ling came flying from overhead with a barrel. She dropped it onto Yang's head. Lu Bao dropped his Ji and leapt at Chin. He managed to scratch the one eyed rat several times leaving deep wounds in his arms. Then Chin kicked him in the nose.

Meanwhile just outside the town the Furious Five were making their way down the mountain path.

"This is going to be AWESOME!" Exclaimed Po excitedly "We haven't battled bandits in ages!"

"Its only been a month"

"A month is, like, a million Kung Fu ages"

"Just try not to get too excited this time Po" said Crane rubbing his beak "You know what happened last time"

"Yeah, sorry about that"

Back in the town; Chin's gang through themselves at Lu Bao's. Cheng and Dong came running at Kai-Mu with a rope in-between them. Kai-Mu, who was still dizzy from being walloped in the face, couldn't react quick enough and tripped over the rope, whereupon Cheng and Dong tied his feet together and began dragging him about. The once mighty lizard was now practically defenseless. He was unable to open his once deadly mouth.

Yang grabbed frantically at Bai-Ling who fluttered about just overhead. Bai-Ling toosed a brick at the yak. The brick missed and Yang leapt up and grabbed Bai-Ling by the leg. Chin, who was adjacent to the bat and yak, grabbed Lu Bao's Ji and tossed it at Yang. The wood pole flew into Yang's stomach making him topple over in pain. Bai-Ling freed her foot from his grip and gave him a viscous kick to the stomach, doubling his pain. Then Bai-Ling tossed the Ji back to Chin he used it to smack Lu Bao.

"Help me you stupid Yak, it's Chin we're after!" Lu Bao hissed.

Yang got up and ran at Chin, Chin brought he Ji across his face. Lu Bao lifted up a barrel and was about to throw it at Chin when the rat suddenly turned around and drove the pole into Lu Bao's foot. Lu Bao yelped with pain and dropped the barrel. By then Yang had picked himself up. Chin smacked him again. Then the rat put the pole on the barrel so that one end was between Lu Bao's legs (Who was till yelping by the way) and the other end was on his side of the barrel. Chin jumped onto the pole. Lu Bao flew up into the air clutching his groin in agony. Then the rat grabbed the pole and through it at Yang again. Once more the pole's target was the groin. Yang doubled over once more.

Lu Bao came crashing back down onto the barrel breaking it. Chin gave him a hard whack to the head and one more to Yang. By then Cheng and Dong had come back with Kai-Mu. Lu Bao and his gang slowly got to their feet.

"We'll*huff* get you yet *huff*Chin *huff* you dirty rat!"

"Oh are you leaving?"

"Shut up! You've had your revenge and we'll get ours"

"Had my revenge? That's silly my revenge isn't finished yet" said Chin with a wicked little smile.

Chin reached into his sleeves and drew three small weapons, knives and tossed them at Lu Bao and his gang. The three caught the blades instinctively. Lu Bao smiled.

"You thought you could finish us off so easily you stupid one eyed rat?"

"Oh no they caught the weapons! What shall I do now my plans have all been foiled-"

Then the town guards came, they were rhinos.

"-Oh wait no it hasn't-LOOK OUT THE BANDITS! THEY'RE STILL ARMED!"

"Oh crap"

Chin and his gang watched as Lu Bao and his gang were given a second beating at the mighty hooves of the rhinos, then they were dragged off to jail.

"There is a moral to this story" said Chin

"What's that sir?"

"Never mess with Chin"

"Very good sir"

Chin and his gang began to walk away when they heard clapping coming from one of the rooftops. Chin looked up and his eyes widened with fear. There on the roof were the Furious Five. His eyes immediately locked on to the horrifying stripped form of Tigress.

"I-Uh-er-eep"

"The Furious Five?" Bai-Ling seemed more curious than afraid "What are you doing here"

"We heard that this town was having trouble with bandits" said Tigress "We came to help the guards out, but it seems like you've handled things pretty well here"

"I-I well-gotta go!"

Chin tried to run away, but Tigress jumped down. Her foot on the tip of his tail preventing him from fleeing. The rest of the Furious Five jumped down as well.

"Relax Chin" Po said "We just wanted to congratulate you, you know?"

"What?"

"We saw you take out three viscous bandits Chin" said Viper

"And?"

"You did pretty good" said Tigress

Chin didn't know whether to be proud of terrified.

"Well thank you…_can we go now_?"

"Well we can't just let a bandit get away"

"eep"

"But seeing as you helped take care of those other bandits I don't see why we cant give you a ten second head start"

"Really!"

"Starting now"

"Oh thank you thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"10, 9, 8-"

Chin and his gang fled. They ran straight into the first rays of the morning sun and off into the horizon.

"Tigress?"

"Yes Po?"

"Are you really gonna go after Chin?"

"No, but it doesn't hurt to keep him on his toes" said Tigress with a slight smile.


	25. Chapter 25

There was an inn, in the middle of the wilderness. It was perched atop a large rock in the middle of a river and had two sets of wooden stairs connecting it on both sides so that it doubled as a bridge. It was night and the inn was crowded, and very noisy.

There was a gang of wolves inside being waited upon by frightened rabbits. Someone knocked on the door. The wolves ignored it as well as the other patrons. But the knocking came again. The wolves were close to the door and the knocking became irritating so finally the leader of the wolves stood of and opened the door.

Faster than the blink of an eye a small one eyed rat leapt upon the wolf knocking him to the floor and began punching him. The entire inn quieted down, they all froze and stared wide eyed at the ferocious little rat, who, was somewhat familiar. The rat punched and punched and punched and the wolf was unable to get him off. One of the other wolves stood up to help his boss.

The rat pointed at him. His little pink clawed hand shot out faster than a cobra could strike and pointed directly at him.

"Your next" the one eyed rat hissed.

The wolf backed off.

The rest of the rat's gang entered the building.

"It would be your best interests" said Bai-Ling "To get out of this inn, its Chin's territory now"

By then the rat had stopped punching the wolf, who had two black eyes and a swollen nose. The wolf look terrified.

"I…er…"

"Get out" Chin growled

"Get out? Come on boys get 'im!"

The other wolves didn't move. Chin grabbed the wolf leader by the collar of his shirt.

"Get your mangy flea bitten behind out of my inn you butt sniffing lout! I'm Chin the greatest bandit ever to walk China! Tell them the saying Da-Ming!"

"You can't win, against the Chin" said Da-Ming

"The year of the rat has come early pal, now are you gonna remove your disgraceful presence or am I gonna have to get violent?"

If getting horribly beaten by a one eyed rat wasn't violence the wolf didn't want to know what was. He and his gang beat a hasty retreat out the back door of the inn and into the surrounding country side.

Chin and his gang enjoyed their new territory, and the rabbits that ran the inn didn't mind because Chin's gang spent all their money there. Then one day someone came and knocked at the door. it was a boar. The boar approached Chin.

"I was wondering if I could…you know… join your gang"

"Why?"

"Well I cant go back to my old one"

"Old gang? Why not?"

"Well you see the leopardess Lu Liu Pan sent me to make sure Lu Bao-"

"Who?"

"That leopard you fought"

"Ohhhh him"

"Sent me to make sure that he retrieved the flower er… from you actually, and… well since neither me nor Lu Bao could get the flower…I cant just return to Waihai island I'll be killed!"

"What flower is it?"

"A Southern Rain Orchid"

Chin thought for a moment then remembered something. Chin took off his hat and looked underneath it. There caught in the straw by one of it's petals was the Southern Rain Orchid, Chin had forgotten all about it and it was still there the whole time. Chin snatched the flower crumpled it up in his hand and tossed it to the boar.

"Here take it"

"Othankyouthankyouthankyou without this flower I'd be roasting on a spike!"

"Hey do you mind giving a message to …"

"Lu Liu Pan?"

"Yeah her"

"I don't see why not"

"Oh good"

Chin slapped the boar.

After the boar left Chin sat down with his gang. Things were finally looking up. But knowing Chin's luck it wouldn't be long till they came crashing down again, but for the moment he could relax with his gang, and after all he'd been through Chin could use a break, even a short one.


End file.
